‘Mise en Place’ – PAZAZ™ Style

Mise en Place means (in French) “everything in its place”.

Preparing anything requires thought and strategy. In this case we will be talking about the preparation of a meal.

In the world of the culinary arts it is important to plan the meal ahead of time. This planning requires a blueprint for execution which will include but not be limited to chopping, slicing, dicing, thawing, mixing, grilling, frying, baking, and of course the most important item… the timing. Integrated into this all important strategy are the tools you are using to execute this important creation.

PAZAZ ™products offer you the highest quality non-stick silicone baking mat, heavy duty aluminum baking sheet pan, and of course the steel mesh cooling rack for the most effective production of either sweet of savory foods. Using the highest quality kitchen tools from PAZAZ ™ ensures your sweet or savory dish will be afforded the opportunity to cook evenly without sticking.

This process begins in the store as you’ve determined the recipe and now search for the organic ingredients to execute the recipe. Sometimes your recipe will change depending upon what organic produce and meats are available. Not only will it change based upon whats available but also the quality of the products your searching for.

After the ingredients have been purchased you must determine the time line for adding the ingredients so that they will exhibit the profile your looking for. Each ingredient takes on a life of its own because in this part of the process lies the technique that moves the recipe from good to great.

With each ingredient the chefs ability to add vinegars, salt and pepper to taste, other key spices, maybe a marinade helps the dish take on a beautiful complexity. This revelation of flavor highlights not just one flavor but a myriad of layers of flavors that elevates the dish from super to sublime.

When the chef has “everything in its place” the process of manufacturing the event becomes a soliloquy to the audience without a voice. The internal clock does not speed up during the creation of the meal because the careful orchestration and preparation becomes a testimonial to the caring and thought that makes any meal a special occasion.

Quality and the Art of PAZAZ

pazaz premium bakeware
Bake The Best – Pazaz Premium Bakeware

In the land of blogs and infomercials we tend to get lost if the message is too long and the product not to our immediate needs. The beauty of the Art of PAZAZ™ is the ability to find those that demand from the products we buy the inalienable right to the best quality available.

Yesterday I got a call from a dear friend that had purchased the combo PAZAZ™ Baking Sheet, Cooling Rack, and Baking mat. He has been a professional baker and was interested to test what I had told him are the best products available.

Now in the framework of an infomercial this would be a perfect time to dial the caller on line one and discuss their success with the product. Unfortunately because of limited time and money I can only tell you second hand what my friend (the baker) relayed to me.

He said, “I typically bake with the sheet pans I’ve been using for years. The problem was that the cookies at the back of the pan would cook faster then those in the front of the pan. Because of this one set of cookies would be overdone and the cookies in the front would be underdone. However, when I used your PAZAZ™ Baking Mat inside of the Cookie Sheet Pan it was Magic! The cookies cooked evenly and all I had to do was leave them alone for the allotted time and bingo… they were perfect.”

“In addition to that, I didn’t have to place any aluminum foil inside the cookie sheet pan or spray with an oil or other product to prevent sticking. Because of the silicone baking mat I could easily extract the cookies and enjoy the perfect product I’ve been looking for all these years. Bravo to PAZAZ™ and the wonderful products you produce.”

It is with great joy I relay this story to you, the customer, as I enjoy the satisfaction of producing the most amazing baking tools for home or commercial use.

Speaking of which, I also want to mention that because of the quality of the PAZAZ™ products, our baking mats are now being used at Jean George Steakhouse in Las Vegas under the umbrella of three star Michelin chef Jean George.

Thank you for your support and encouragement from all of us at PAZAZ™.

Summertime Recipes, Vacations, and the Quiet Explosion of Amazing Flavors

Today I prepare for a vacation that will rest the soul, stimulate the senses, and expand the horizons. Its interesting how we look forward to the journey, destination, and finally that solitude and satisfaction from rest and discovery.

Before we go I must say that preparing “Mama’s Muffins” from the PAZAZ cook book gives me a warm feeling that goes straight to the heart of this blog. As we journey to other places we are tethered to our home base but relish the discovery of new places, dishes in restaurants that bring joy and wonder, and finally the reflection of times and places that bring a similar sensation.

Summer around the globe is a time when people gather for outside activities which in many cases revolve around connecting to each other and nature. In this case we are going to a wonderful town located on the California coast that epitomizes the collection of my favorite two vacation topics… food and wine.

The restaurants we will be going to we have never been to before. This in a way is very much like when you are deciding which baking tools to use and you check out the reviews to determine the satisfaction level of the guests. The importance of the comments and passion in which they are illustrated demonstrates our belief that in some way shape or form they subliminally help craft our experience which could mirror their experience and thus becomes a trusting form of communication.

In the case of leaving a review that highlights the advantages of my PAZAZ kitchen tools its important to provide the necessary information to make an intelligent decision based upon real time users enjoying the satisfying ease of cooking with superior products.

This level of quality to produce a product, be it kitchen tools, restaurants, places to stay, or even the difficult to find wineries revolves around the commitment these businesses have made to provide an unparalleled moment that becomes the essence of satisfaction.

When we taste food or wine varietals that we’ve had hundreds of times it is rare and yet truly amazing when we stop and savor that moment which will be embedded in our memory if that experience is truly unique. The summer favors this type of enlightenment because of the vast offerings of harvest.

If just for a week a produce item is available we can align our thoughts to the calendar so that we can duplicate that experience each year. With infused oils and vinegars the recipes highlight simple yet satisfying delectable summer time dishes.

In this vein we are offered a montage of flavors that doesn’t overpower the product but enhances it. The beautiful berries from the west coast magnify the flavor profile of sweet and delicious to new sublime levels. Just a moment to savor the blueberries, strawberries, cherries, and tomatoes offer the taster with the satisfaction of living in the moment before the quiet explosion of our most amazing summertime flavors.

Organics Bring PAZAZ™ to the Feast

pazaz brings organic food to the feast
Pazaz Bakeware brings Organics to the Feast

Today I was shopping at Whole Foods and found an array of organics that brought a smile to my face. When I look at conventional produce, touch it, smell it, and in some cases taste it I am baffled as to why anyone would choose conventional over organic.

If price is the only issue and you choose price over health than stop reading now. Go back to ordering tap water at high-end restaurants and wallow in the mediocrity of taste. Don’t live in the moment but exhume the conversation of dining at another restaurant while not living in the moment that is before you.

I only say this because living in the spatial continuum of the creative experience (which is the best part of us) is something difficult to grasp in the times we live in. However, there is hope.

This hope is attached to the sustenance that feeds the spirit and energizes our thoughts. Without the proper diet and tools to prepare the meals we love, then a link in the chain is missing. We can purchase all the organics we want but without vision and fore-thought it just becomes another meal prepared at a certain time without the value we must give it to enjoy the moment.

PAZAZ ™ was created to increase the value of those organic products. Each flavor is enhanced when prepared from a recipe that incorporates the tools that bring the meal to life. Each flavor becomes a journey down a road that winds to the palate.

The beauty of cooking in these days and times is the fact that we are receiving produce, meat, poultry, and fish from around the world. Most fresh food is delivered in a timely fashion so that we can have a choice unlike any past generations. This brings us to the opportunity to have the finest foods, enhanced by the PAZAZ ™ cook book while bringing smiles to all those that are lucky enough to be invited to the table.

Tonight I am making an organic butter lettuce salad with honey crisp apple, heirloom tomato, bean sprouts, and avocado with organic baked chicken dusted with fresh dill in a pear/cranberry vinaigrette.

Let the preparations begin while I live in the moment of this culinary sensory experience enhanced by music, wine, and the most important factor… those you love and care about.