Everything in its place…

Philippe Gehin, Chef, La Cabriole
“My advice is the first thing a chef instructor teaches his students: mise en place. This French term means to put everything in its place before you begin cooking – including all the ingredients and cooking tools required to achieve your favorite recipe. For example, if your recipe calls for pasta with tomatoes and basil, you should have your salted water already boiling, your tomatoes diced, and the basil chopped. Mise en place prevents you from running back and forth in the kitchen, and it’s such an important concept for meal preparation and execution.”
Cynthia Wood, Chef, Davis Wayne’s
“A great cooking tip I learned from my mother is how to make the best scrambled eggs. Instead of adding milk or heavy cream, add cold tap water to your eggs and mix them with a fork. This makes the eggs light and fluffy.
When scrambling the eggs, add cheese when they are almost done. Remove the eggs from the heating element. Continue scrambling the eggs off of the heat until the cheese is completely incorporated. These simple tips have officially made me the scrambled egg champion in our family.”

Larry Torrence, Founder & Owner, Uncle Larry’s Restaurant
“As a kid growing up, I watched my mother Mildred Torrence cook in the kitchen. I learned a lot from her since she made everything from scratch. So that is what I do – I fry fish the old-school way. I mix my own seasonings and breading, and I do not use batter. If I could pass on one piece of cooking advice, it’s this: When you get ready to bread your fish, make sure the fish is cold and wet so that it will hold the breading.”