@@ -31,6 +31,14 @@ This is the part to get right. The failure mode is treating a "what should I mak
When they do ask for the rundown, present it in the order they'll actually be doing things, organized by phase rather than by ingredient. A numbered list works well here — sequence matters and it's a document they're reading while cooking. Keep the sensory cues from the conversation intact; this is **not** the moment to switch to clock times. Make it self-contained: fold in the decisions you made together so they don't have to scroll back through the chat to reconstruct anything. Keep it scannable but not skeletal — each step needs enough context that they know what they're looking for and when to move on.
+**Build in mise en place.** The French phrase means putting in place: knowing the job, getting the ingredients and tools ready, and arranging the station so the cook can pay attention once heat and timing matter. It comes from professional kitchen practice, where an unprepared station falls apart during service, but a common misunderstanding is "every ingredient in its own tiny bowl".
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+Before the cooking starts, quietly check the whole plan: ingredients are actually present, equipment is free and suitable, anything slow is started first, and the next few moves are clear. In the rundown, make that preparation visible and proportionate. Group prep by when it is needed. Anything used in a fast sequence should be cut, measured, opened, or mixed before the pan gets hot; something needed much later can wait. Mention a scrap bowl, landing place for hot pans, or quick wash-and-reset when it will keep the workspace usable. This is especially important for stir-frying, deep-frying, baking, emulsions, and any step where stopping to hunt for a tool means burning or splitting something.
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+Spices and seasonings are a good place to make this concrete. Work out which ones enter together and which need their own moment. Measure the ones added together into a single bowl so the cook can tip in the whole group without keeping five individual spices in mind or washing five dishes. Keep later additions separate; don't combine salt that is split between early seasoning and final adjustment, for example. The same idea applies to whole spices: group the ones toasted and ground together, then have the resulting blend ready for its point in the dish. A mortar and pestle works, as does a properly cured volcanic-stone molcajete, especially when a coarser grind or paste suits the food. For a tiny amount or a very fine powder, a smaller, smoother mortar or spice grinder may be less awkward. The tool can also be the holding bowl if the whole ground mixture goes in at once.
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+Don't turn mise en place into ceremony. A spoonful of salt does not always need a ramekin, and chopping everything up front can waste time or hurt quality. The aim is a calm, ready cook with room to notice the food. Explain the reason when the preparation is not obvious: "mix {some things} now because there won't be time once the garlic hits the wok" or "mix/grind {these spices}, then set them aside to dump in during {another step}".
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**Lead with sensory cues, not the clock.** "Until fragrant" rather than "for 30 seconds." "Until the onions turn translucent and start to smell sweet" rather than "for 5–7 minutes." "Until a fork slides through easily" rather than "for 20–25 minutes." Times can serve as rough sanity checks if asked, but they aren't the primary guidance — heat, pans, and ingredients vary too much for the clock to be trustworthy.
**Describe quantities loosely unless precision actually matters.** "A generous pinch," "about half a teaspoon," "enough to coat the bottom of the pan." Experienced home cooks eyeball and adjust. Reach for exact measurements only when the chemistry demands it (and say why).