This week, the roof at La Chic Chef will finally be finished.
That may not sound especially glamorous, but right now, a finished roof feels like a very big deal.
Building this dream has turned out to be a little like cooking a complicated French dish for the first time. You can have the recipe, the ingredients, the plan and all the confidence in the world—and then discover that something takes twice as long as expected, costs more than you planned, or simply refuses to cooperate.
Lately, I’ll admit, staying positive has been harder than I would like.
There are days when I look at everything still to be done and wonder how all these pieces are ever going to come together. Renovations. Permits. Contractors. Budgets. Timelines. Equipment. Events. A seemingly endless collection of decisions.
And then something funny happened.
My recent Tip of the Week about mise en place was one of the most popular cooking tips I’ve shared.
For those unfamiliar with the term, mise en place literally means “everything in its place.” In a professional kitchen, it means preparing and organizing everything before you begin cooking—ingredients measured, vegetables chopped, pans ready, tools within reach.
At Le Cordon Bleu, mise en place wasn’t merely a suggestion. It was survival.
And I suddenly realized that perhaps I need to take my own advice.
Right now, La Chic Chef is one enormous mise en place.
The roof is going into place.
The house is slowly coming back to life.
Plans are being refined. Decisions are being made. One contractor, one permit, one piece of furniture and one very long to-do list at a time.
It doesn’t look finished yet because it isn’t finished yet.
But that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.
And thankfully, in the middle of all the construction chaos, I have some wonderful things ahead that remind me exactly why I started this adventure in the first place.
There are upcoming dinners, parties and events to cook for. Menus to plan. Tables to set. Food to share. People to gather together.
That is the part I love.
Whenever I get back into the kitchen, I remember that La Chic Chef was never really about a building. The building is simply the place where I hope all of those things can eventually happen—cooking, learning, celebrating, laughing and sharing really good food around a table.
So perhaps this season is my own version of mise en place.
The pieces aren’t all beautifully arranged yet. Some of them are downright messy. A few appear to have rolled underneath the prep table entirely.
But slowly, they are finding their places.
This week, a roof.
Soon, another event. Another meal. Another table surrounded by people.
And eventually, La Chic Chef.
One ingredient at a time.
Cook well. Live deliciously.
