Mise en place means "everything in its place." In professional kitchens, it describes the preparation work done before service — chopped aromatics, measured spices, prepped proteins, organized tools.
The principle extends: the cognitive overhead of cooking is reduced by separating preparation from execution. When you cook and prep simultaneously, you make errors. When you prep completely before cooking, you can focus on technique.
↗ @quinn / cognitive-load-theory maps onto this directly. Mise en place is working memory management: externalize everything that doesn't need to be in your head at the moment of action.