Transcript File
Preparing to Cook
Mise en Place
Getting ready to cook is called mise en place. Mise en place is
French for “to put in place.”
• Mise en place refers to the preparation and assembly of
ingredients, pans, utensils, equipment, or serving pieces
needed for a particular dish or service.
• The goal of pre-preparation is to do as much of the work
in advance without any loss in ingredient quality
• The basic elements of mise en place—knife cuts,
flavorings, herbs and spices, and basic preparations—are
the building blocks of a professional chef ’s training.
These methods and techniques will be essential
throughout a professional career.
Preparation Techniques
• Mise en place also involves pre-preparing certain
ingredients that need to be refined before they are ready for
use at the time of preparation.
• Usually, cleaning and cutting raw foods is one of the first
steps of mise en place. Fresh vegetables, fruit, and meat
often require trimming and cutting.
• Basic cooking techniques in pre-preparation include
separating eggs, whipping egg whites, setting up a bainmarie, and making parchment liners for pans.
Flavor
Flavor refers to the way a food tastes, as well as its texture,
appearance, doneness, and temperature.
A flavoring should enhance the base ingredients of the dish,
or it can also bring another flavor to the product.
Seasonings
• A seasoning is something that enhances the flavor of an
item without changing the primary flavor of the dish.
They must be used with care to prevent overuse, but
seasoning generally should be added at the start of the
dish to create a depth of flavor.
• There are four basic types of seasoning ingredients:
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Salts
Peppers
Sugars
Acids
Herbs & Spices
• Herbs and spices are important ingredients used to
enhance and add to the flavor of food:
– Herbs are the leaves, stems, or flowers of an aromatic plant.
– Spices are the bark, roots, seeds, buds, or berries of an
aromatic plant.
• Storing spices and herbs properly helps to keep them
fresh and flavorful. Heat, light, and air all speed the loss
of flavor and color.
Herbs & Spices
• Add volatile spices and herbs toward the end of cooking to
provide the full benefit of their aromas and flavors.
• Some herbs and spices must be used carefully because their
dominant flavors can overpower the flavor of the dish.
• Use salt and pepper at the beginning of the cooking process
to ensure that sauces, butter, or other liquids will not wash
off the seasoning.
Name that Herb
Basil
Italian Cooking
Name that Herb
Bay
Soups, Stews, Meats
Use the whole leaf, but
remove before serving
Name that Herb
Chives
Potatoes, Garnishes,
Seafood, Soups
Name that Herb
Cilantro
Mexican Food, Thai Food,
Sauces, Salsa
Name that Herb
Dill
Fish, Potatoes, Pickles,
Dips, Carrots, Bread
Name that Herb
Lemon
Grass
Chicken, Seafood
Name that Herb
Mint
Desserts, Lamb, Tea
Name that Herb
Oregano
Italian Food, Mexican
Food, Pizza, Spaghetti
Name that Herb
Parsley
Garnish, Meat, Cheese,
Salads, etc….
Name that Herb
Rosemary
Chicken, Seafood,
Mushrooms, Vegetables
Name that Herb
Sage
Pork, Turkey, Stuffing,
Mushrooms
Name that Herb
Tarragon
Chicken, Eggs,
Mushroom, Seafood
Name that Herb
Thyme
Meat, Poultry,
Mushrooms, Nuts,
Potatoes
Name that Spice
Allspice
Tropical Evergreen Tree
Berry
Nutmeg, Cloves,
Cinnamon
Pickling, Stews, Baking
Name that Spice
Caraway
Apple, Pork, Sausage, Rye
Bread
Name that Spice
Cayenne
Any food, but can add lots
of heat!!
Name that Spice
Chili Powder
Blend of cumin, garlic,
onion and chili
Tex-Mex, BBQ
Name that Spice
Cloves
Immature flower buds
Meats, Stocks, Sauces,
Baking
Name that Spice
Coriander
Cilantro seeds
Variety of cooking uses in
savory and baked foods
Name that Spice
Cumin
Seeds – used crushed
Mexican Foods, Chili
Name that Spice
Ginger
Root of plant
Baking, Asian Foods
Name that Spice
Nutmeg
Seed kernel inside a fruit
Baking, cheese, eggs,
Alfredo
Name that Spice
Paprika
Finely ground powder
from dried pepper
Garnish, salads, sausage,
casseroles
Name that Spice
Peppercorn
Dried unripe berry
Most common – black
pepper, used in most
foods
Name that Spice
Poppy Seeds
From poppy flower
Baking, Salad Dressing
Name that Spice
Saffron
Dried stigmas of crocus
Most expensive spice in
the world
Mediterranean and Asian
foods
Name that Spice
Sesame Seeds
Found in the pod of a
tropical plant
Baking, Tahini Paste, Asian
Fish dishes
World Seasonings
• You can create different taste by simply adjusting
seasonings. The meat and vegetables can remain basically
the same, but by changing the seasonings you can enhance
the dish
Chinese
• Chinese 5 spice powder, garlic, red chilies, chili oils, ginger
root, cilantro, sesame seeds and sesame oil, peanut oil, chili
paste, hoisin sauce, fermented black beans, black bean
paste, rice vinegar, sherry, soy sauce, bean sprouts, scallion,
mirin, bok choy
Japanese
• garlic, ginger root, pickled ginger, scallion, cucumber,
daikon, sake, soy sauce, sugar, watercress, wasabi, miso,
mirin, sesame seeds, plum wine, seaweed
Italian
• Oregano, basil, rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley, dried Italian
seasonings, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, onion, garlic,
capers, red pepper flakes, anise and fennel, arugula, olives,
parmesan, mozzarella and ricotta cheese, tomatoes, tomato
sauce and paste, artichoke
Mexican
• garlic, cumin, chili powder, cloves, oregano, thyme, vanilla,
lime, cilantro, onion, tomatoes, red peppers, chilies, white
vinegar, legumes, dried peppers, bell peppers
Thai
• Garlic, cumin, cloves, lemongrass, cilantro, mint, basil,
ginger, fruit (bananas, pineapple, mangoes, papaya) fish
sauce, dried shrimp, coconut milk, sugar, ketchup, peanuts,
peanut oil, peanut butter
Indian
• garlic, cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, clove, anise, curry,
turmeric, chilies, cilantro, ginger, lime, onion, raisins,
apples, nuts, green and red bell peppers