Mise en Place with Chef Donna
Mise en Place (pronounced MEEZ ahn plahs) is a French culinary term meaning “everything in its place.” In the kitchen, it is the technical term for having all your ingredients, pans, bowls and equipment ready and set out for the preparation ahead. This enables the chef to assemble what he/she is creating in a timely and effortless manner when the need arises. All measurements, dicing, slicing, toasting, grating and prep work are done, waiting for that first order of the day.
In Mise en Place with Chef Donna, I hope to provide you, the reader with essential kitchen know-how, so that you, too, can have Mise en Place in your kitchen space. I look forward to answering your culinary questions and expanding your culinary creativity with hints and suggestions relative to gastronomy (cooking) in each edition of Currents Magazine.
Whether a foodie, connoisseur, or gastronomically-challenged, Mise en Place with Chef Donna will feature an essential kitchen tool in every issue, recipes at your request, and delectable tidbits relative to the ever growing culinary world.
In this edition of Mise en Place with Chef Donna, we will feature an indispensable item in every Pastry Chef or Baker’s kitchen, the Silpat. A Silpat is a baking mat or liner made of silicone and fiberglass. Its non-stick surface can withstand temperatures as low as 40 degrees below zero and as high as 570 degrees Farenheit. It can double as a non-stick work surface, perfect for sticky doughs, chocolate or candies. It is safe for freezer and microwave use. Silpats come in standard sizes to accommodate baking pans. They are reusable, up to 3000 times, thus eliminating the need and cost of parchment paper.
Silpats are easy to use. Just place it smooth side up on a baking sheet or pan and place the item you’re baking on top. Without using a spatula, baked goods just slide off the mat. Silpats are also easy to care for. Wipe with a damp sponge to remove any residue or wash in soapy water. Pat the mat dry and store flat. To avoid damage to the non-stick surface, never use knives or sharp dough cutters on the Silpat.
Prices start at around $11 for the smallest size and can be found wherever they sell kitchen and baking equipment or restaurant supply stores.
**Chef Donna is a freelance food writer and chef. She is an
honors graduate of the “best kept secret of Asbury Park,” the
award winning, Culinary Education Center-Brookdale Community
College. A member of the American Culinary Federation, Chef
Donna also serves as a Monmouth County Fair Food Judge. She is
passionate about food and has been in the kitchen from the
moment she could hold a whisk. To reach Chef Donna with
questions of comments, email her at:
chefdonna59@aol.com
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