Peas what?

So you might wonder, what's with the name? Who wants peas on their moss?

Well, it's a play on words and alliteration (Thanks, Mrs. Sanford). Mise en place is a French word that is used in the culinary world as a description of the organization of equipment and/or ingredients used in food preparation or service. Having your items laid out and ready for use makes an efficient use of time and effort. I don't always have a mise en place when I'm getting ready to cook, but it sure makes it easy if I were to take the time to do that preparation in advance. We even have a mise en place at Seastar Seattle, where I am a maitre d'. That area, for my purposes, has flatware, knives, plates, soy sauce, chopsticks, and trays for us to prepare guests' tables and for the different courses. By having the items in the Front of the House, we don't have to keep running back to the dish pit and risk crashing into a very busy chef. Convenient, ey?

My mom used to poke fun at me because I always had items arranged in their places, including my textbooks (arranged by class period order), my cds (arranged by singer then album), and my files (arranged alphabetically, how else?). Sometimes I organized by my intended use (baking items with baking items and ingredients) or by frequency of use (I have a special section in the front of my recipe binder for meals I cook more often). I have also attempted to organize the happy plan for my life (spouse, job, money), but that has proved a bit more difficult.

Well, that's the origin of the name of the blog, and this is the blog dedicated just to the food and experience of food. I am enrolling in culinary school in April, and you'll probably see lots of my learning turned into posts on this site.

Many of you readers probably followed me from my personal blog - jkschaub.blogspot.com, which includes plenty of family activity. This blog is dedicated to the food, the recipes, the bloopers, and the successes. I'll probably also include some restaurant reviews, shopping guides, and other musings about the culture of food. Keep reading and enjoy!

Cooking Notes

Recipes on this site are designed for your enjoyment, and they were created in a home kitchen using an electric stove and a 5 qt slow cooker, but no microwave. The recipes are my property, and proper attribution to the inspiration to my recipes is given as often as possible. I request that you do the same if you duplicate or share the recipe.


Cooking times are approximate. Time dedicated to the recipes also varies. Measurements are usually eyeballed, but, as I am learning, it's important to note because sometimes the recipes turn out 100s of times better when I actually stick to the recipe!


Food safety should always be adhered to:

Poultry must be cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit, as should casseroles and any reheated leftover food. Meat, pork, fish, seafood, egg products should be cooked to 145 degrees. It's best to use a food thermometer to tell if the dish is properly cooked, although there are tried-and-true signals that food is close to the correct temperature. Keep hot food hot and cold food cold until you're absolutely ready to use it or serve it. Be sure to wash your hands and your equipment thoroughly prior to and after use. Cross-contamination from our hands to our food is the most common way to spread disease, so combat it by washing hands. You really can't wash your hands too often.

If you create a fun variation of the recipe, please let me know! I love to continue experimenting with my fave's!