Wondering about the name?

If you’ve followed many chefs on television, you’ll notice that the ingredients they use in their demonstrations are pre-cut and measured into little bowls. In the culinary world, we would call that advance preparation “mise en place.” When I was learning to pronounce it, I heard someone mention that it’s like saying “peas on moss” but with the first letters switched around. Well, it was memorable.

If you’re a typical career person, you probably experienced the reality of not always knowing exactly what work to do. We might make these plans – set up our life’s mis en place – but so often life changes, and those plans go a little (or a lot) awry. 

I recognize that life and work don’t always go as planned – heck, this is my third career (after the US Air Force and lots of brief stints teaching, writing, and cooking). So, it’s not mis en place it’s PeasOnMoss.