Preparation and Organization

Question 1

Mise en Place

Answer 1

French term, meaning “everything put in place.”

Question 2

Pre-Preperation

Answer 2

Pre-preparation is necessary! You must:

• Assemble your tools.
• Assemble your ingredients.
• Wash, trim, cut, prepare, and measure your raw materials.
• Prepare your equipment.

Question 3

Holding Temperature

Answer 3

The temperature at which a product is kept for service or for storage.

• Holding temperatures for all potentially hazardous foods must be outside the Food Danger Zone.

• Food Danger Zone: 41 degree Fahrenheit (5 degree Celsius) to 135 degree Fahrenheit (57 degree Celsius)

Question 4

Set Meal Service

Answer 4

• All customers eat at one time.
• Often called quantity cooking because large batches are prepared in advance.
• Examples: school cafeterias, banquets, employee dining rooms

Question 5

Extended Meal Service

Answer 5

• Customers eat at different times.
• Often called à la carte cooking; customers usually select items from a written menu (carte in French).
• Individual items are cooked to order rather than cooked ahead.
• Examples: restaurants, short-order counters

Question 6

The Goal of pre-prep

Answer 6

• The goal of pre-preparation is to do as much work in advance as possible without loss of quality.
• Quality should always take highest priority.

Question 7

The Chef must plan pre-preparation carefully:

Answer 7

• Break down each menu item into its stages of production.
• Determine which stages may be done in advance.
• Determine the best way to hold each item at its final stage of pre-preparation.
• Determine how long it takes to prepare each stage of each recipe.
• Plan a production schedule beginning with the preparations that take the longest.
• Examine recipes to see if they might be revised for better efficiency and quality as served.