Mise En Place

I recently learned about a concept called mise en place.  This is a French term that translates literally to “put in place.”  It refers to the prep work that happens before a chef’s shift.

For example if you (the chef) are making Salmon on Spinach with Caramelized Onions you will need some prep work to be done before you can even put the salmon in the pan.  For starters this would include cutting the salmon into serving size pieces and then rinsing, drying, and seasoning it.  You’ll also need to clean and chop your spinach (10 minutes of work) and slice and caramelize the onions (2 hours of work). Continue reading “Mise En Place”

How to Prepare and Cook Kale

I’m sure a lot of people have never tried kale because they don’t know how to cook kale. I was one of those people too until just a few years ago. That was when I discovered that kale is a great tasting, highly nutritious leafy green vegetable, similar to spinach.

Kale is best when fresh, so cook it within a few days after you buy it at the grocery store. Make sure it’s a nice dark green with firm leaves and no brown spots or flimsy areas.

Kale is also very inexpensive, especially when you buy it in season. I can get a huge bunch of it in season (January-March) for about $1.29.

[Time saving tip: Make the whole bunch at once, even if you won’t eat it all that night. Store the rest in the frig for a few days. Then you can briefly microwave it and serve with another meal. That’ll save you a lot of time.] Continue reading “How to Prepare and Cook Kale”