The Most Impressive Kitchen Island Ever: The ‘Mise en Place’ Work Table

Mise en place (“putting in place” or “set in place”) is a cooking habit you’ve undoubtedly heard of, and may even implement. But what if I told you it was also the guiding concept behind the fanciest kitchen island we’ve ever seen? The ‘Mise en Place’ Work Table, billed as an “all-encompassing chefs work table” has a place for everything, and everything in its place. Here’s what it includes:

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18 Daily Habits That Make Life in the Kitchen Better — Kitchen Habits of Good Cooks

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This week we’ve been sharing the everyday cooking habits of chefs, cookbook authors, and other people who spend a lot of time cooking, and we’re ending the series with a peek inside our own kitchens. Here are the 18 daily habits The Kitchn editors rely on to stay motivated and inspired in our everyday cooking — plus the six habits we’re hoping to adopt in the coming year.

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pear and hazelnut muffins

pear, hazelnut and chocolate chunk muffins

We all know that muffins teeter precariously on a razor-thin line that divides the food categories of “Acceptable for Breakfast” and “Nope, This Is Dessert” and one must maintain firm boundaries during the breakfast hours lest the day that follows devolve into a full-on bacchanal of Resolution decompensation that ends with one passed out amid scatters of Cheetos, ketchup packets and French fry grease with a side of cronut.

roughly chopped toasted hazelnuts
peeled pears, but no need for you to

Thus, when I come upon a new muffin recipe — or in this case, when my son is told to pick a recipe for us to make from a new book, and he predictably chooses the thing that most resembles cake — I immediately assess the list of ingredients and label them accordingly:

cored and de-stemmed

… Read the rest of pear and hazelnut muffins on smittenkitchen.com


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Pantry Before & After: Rotating Shelves (or Pantry Carousels) to the Rescue!

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Does the above pantry look familiar? It’s all too easy to let our pantries get messy and disorganized. That’s why I was so inspired when I saw how Emily of DecorChick completely transformed her pantry area with the help of a few carousels. (So smart!) That’s her ‘before’ pantry above; jump below to see how she fixed it up!

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Beth Moncel’s 8 Money-Saving Habits for Better Cooking — Kitchen Habits of Good Cooks

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Small kitchen habits can make a big difference in your cooking, so we love learning about the everyday cooking habits of cookbook authors, chefs and other food professionals. What are the small habits they practice every time they step into the kitchen?

This week we are talking to our favorite food experts to find out the simple cooking practices they rely on, and today Beth Moncel, budget cooking expert and author of the forthcoming Budget Bytes, shares eight habits that save money while also making life in the kitchen easier, cleaner and a whole lot happier.

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