Get Your Ducks in a Row — Mise en Place 101 That Cooking Thing 🍳

Ever start cooking dinner and realize halfway through that you forgot an ingredient, your pan is already hot, and something is starting to burn?

We’ve all been there.

In Episode 2 of That Cooking Thing, Chef Jonathan Frazier breaks down one of the most important habits professional cooks use every day: mise en place.

Mise en place is French for “putting in place,” but it’s really about being prepared before you start cooking. Jonathan explains how to read a recipe, organize your workspace, prepare your ingredients, think about timing, clean as you go, and avoid the chaos that can happen when you’re trying to cook, read, measure, and search for ingredients all at once.

And no, you don’t need fourteen little bowls lined up like a cooking show.

It’s about better preparation—not more preparation.

Jonathan also puts the idea into practice with a simple vegetable stir-fry, showing how a few minutes of preparation can make cooking easier, more organized, and a lot less stressful.

In this episode:

• What mise en place actually means
• Why reading the entire recipe matters
• How to organize your workspace
• The professional kitchen trick of the garbage bowl
• Preparing ingredients without overdoing it
• Using timing to plan a meal
• Cleaning as you go
• How preparation helps you adapt when things don’t go according to plan
• A simple vegetable stir-fry you can try at home

Chef’s Shortcut:
Don’t start cooking until you’re ready to cook.

Five minutes of preparation can change the entire experience.

🎧 Listen to Episode 2 of That Cooking Thing and get your ducks in a row before you cook!