mis en place
Over last weekend I had the time to read Anthony Bourdain's book Kitchen Confidential. It's funny and food-worshiping and gross and a good yarn, but not a book for the squeamish or faint of stomach. Reading it reminded me of a term I'd not heard in ages- mis en place. It's French for "set in place"- in kitchens, your mis en place or "meeze" for short is your working setup; the arrangement of dishes and bottles and shakers and ingredients you use to prepare food. Messing up a chef's meeze is an invitation to get murdered, according to Anthony.
It got me thinking about my own kitchen. My kitchen's mis? Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, pepper grinder, salt shaker, nonstick cooking spray, garlic pepper (from the Spice House, may they live forever- the best damn garlic pepper blend I've ever eaten) and sherry vinegar.
What's indispensable in your kitchen, for how you cook?
It got me thinking about my own kitchen. My kitchen's mis? Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, pepper grinder, salt shaker, nonstick cooking spray, garlic pepper (from the Spice House, may they live forever- the best damn garlic pepper blend I've ever eaten) and sherry vinegar.
What's indispensable in your kitchen, for how you cook?