How a Legendary Chef Runs One of the World’s Most Iconic Restaurants — Mise En Place

Behind the Scenes at Jean-Georges

Executive Chef Mark Lapico and his team prepare for dinner service at Jean-Georges, a flagship restaurant in New York City. The team emphasizes the importance of using high-quality ingredients, precise measurements, and attention to detail in their dishes.

The team sources fresh seafood, including scallops, black sea bass, and tuna, and expertly prepares them for service.
They highlight the importance of precise knife skills and demonstrate their techniques for filleting fish and preparing ingredients.
The team showcases their signature dishes, including tuna noodles, egg toast with caviar, and a grilled cheese sandwich with truffle.
Chef Mark Lapico and Culinary Director Greg Brainin develop new recipes, including a squab dish with spices and a Caraflex cabbage dish with celery root puree and truffle.
The team emphasizes the importance of teamwork, precision, and attention to detail in their kitchen, and Chef Lapico stresses the need to be involved in every aspect of food preparation.

Term	Definition	Example Usage
Sous Chef	A senior chef who assists the head chef or executive chef in managing the kitchen and preparing meals.	Chef Mark Lapico, the executive chef at Jean-Georges, relies on his sous chef to help with food preparation and plating.
Culinary Director	A high-ranking chef who oversees the culinary operations of a restaurant or organization.	Chef Greg Brainin serves as the culinary director at Jean-Georges, guiding the development of new recipes and menus.
Knife Skills	The ability to properly use and maintain knives in the kitchen, including techniques for chopping, slicing, and dicing ingredients.	The team at Jean-Georges emphasizes the importance of knife skills, demonstrating their techniques for filleting fish and preparing ingredients.
Teamwork	The collaborative effort of a group of people working together to achieve a common goal, in this case, preparing a meal.	The team at Jean-Georges stresses the importance of teamwork, precision, and attention to detail in their kitchen.
Attention to Detail	The careful consideration and focus on the small details of a task or process, often resulting in a higher quality outcome.	Chef Mark Lapico emphasizes the need to be involved in every aspect of food preparation, demonstrating attention to detail in the kitchen.
High-Quality Ingredients	Ingredients that are fresh, seasonal, and of the highest quality, often used to prepare dishes at a restaurant.	The team at Jean-Georges sources fresh seafood, including scallops, black sea bass, and tuna, and expertly prepares them for service.
Precise Measurements	The accurate measurement of ingredients and cooking times to ensure consistency and quality in a dish.	The team at Jean-Georges emphasizes the importance of precise measurements, using scales and measuring cups to ensure accuracy.
Signature Dishes	Unique and iconic dishes that are characteristic of a restaurant or chef, often served as a representation of their culinary style.	The team at Jean-Georges showcases their signature dishes, including tuna noodles, egg toast with caviar, and a grilled cheese sandwich with truffle.
Recipe Development	The process of creating and refining new recipes, often involving experimentation and testing.	Chef Mark Lapico and Culinary Director Greg Brainin develop new recipes, including a squab dish with spices and a Caraflex cabbage dish with celery root puree and truffle.

Vocabulary Quiz: Behind the Scenes at Jean-Georges

Test your vocabulary skills with these 5 questions based on the text!

Answer Key:

Teamwork and attention to detail
Caraflex cabbage dish
Filleting fish and preparing ingredients
Culinary Director
Squab

The Use of the Present Simple and Present Continuous for Describing Routines and Actions in Progress

The present simple is used to describe routines, habits, and general truths, while the present continuous is used to describe actions that are in progress at the moment of speaking or around a specific time. In the context of the text, the present simple is used to describe the team’s routine actions, such as “The team emphasizes the importance of…”, whereas the present continuous is not used in this text, but it could be used to describe an action that is happening at the moment of speaking, for example, “The team is preparing for dinner service.”

Quiz

1. Which of the following sentences is an example of the present simple used to describe a routine action?

A) The team is preparing for dinner service.

B) The team emphasizes the importance of using high-quality ingredients.

C) The team will prepare for dinner service at 5 pm.

D) The team prepared for dinner service yesterday.

2. Which of the following sentences is NOT an example of the present simple used to describe a routine action?

A) The team sources fresh seafood.

B) The team is highlighting the importance of precise knife skills.

C) The team develops new recipes.

D) The team will highlight the importance of precise knife skills.

3. Which of the following sentences would be an example of the present continuous used to describe an action in progress?

A) The team emphasizes the importance of using high-quality ingredients.

B) The team is preparing for dinner service.

C) The team sources fresh seafood.

D) The team developed new recipes.

4. Why is the present simple used in the sentence “The team emphasizes the importance of using high-quality ingredients”?

A) Because it is an action that is happening at the moment of speaking.

B) Because it is a routine action.

C) Because it is a one-time action.

D) Because it is an action that will happen in the future.

5. Which of the following sentences is an example of the present simple used to describe a general truth?