Kitchen workflow

How a kitchen is run: mise en place, tasting as you go and plating.

À la minuteÀ la minute means cooked to order, right before serving, rather than made ahead and held warm. It is how restaurants keep fast dishes at their best.
Batch cookingBatch cooking is making a large amount of food in one session, then cooling, storing and reheating portions over the week or freezing them for later.
Brigade systemThe brigade system is the classic way a professional kitchen is organized, with a head chef, a sous-chef and station cooks who each own one task.
Clean as you goClean as you go is the habit of washing, wiping and putting things away during cooking instead of at the end, so the kitchen stays safe, clear and calm.
Family styleFamily style means serving food on large shared platters and bowls set in the middle of the table, so everyone passes them around and helps themselves.
Finishing saltFinishing salt is a flaky or coarse salt sprinkled on food just before serving, for a crunchy texture and a bright burst of salt rather than for seasoning.
GarnishA garnish is a small edible finish added to a dish just before serving, such as herbs, citrus zest or toasted seeds, to add flavor, texture and color.
Meal prepMeal prep is planning and preparing meals or ingredients ahead, often on one day a week, so weekday cooking takes minutes and you eat to a plan.
Mise en placeMise en place means having every ingredient measured, cut and ready, and every tool at hand, before you start cooking, so nothing burns while you chop.
PlatingPlating is arranging food on the plate before serving, placing each part and adding sauce and garnish so the dish looks as good as it tastes.
Sharpen and honeSharpening grinds a new edge onto a dull knife with a stone, while honing straightens the existing edge on a steel. A sharp knife is safer and faster.
Taste as you goTaste as you go is the habit of tasting food at each stage of cooking and adjusting salt, acid, sweetness and heat before it is too late to fix.