Mise en Place

French for "everything in its place," mise en place is the single most important habit separating pros from amateurs. Before a chef turns on the stove, every ingredient is measured, cut, and organized. It eliminates panic, prevents mistakes, and creates the calm efficiency that lets a restaurant kitchen serve 200 covers in a night. Home cooks who adopt it find their cooking immediately improves — not because of better recipes, but because they stop scrambling mid-dish.