Mise en place
Having every ingredient measured, cut and ready, and every tool to hand, before cooking starts.
Mise en place is French for putting in place. In a professional kitchen each cook prepares a station before service: vegetables chopped, sauces made, garnishes in containers, pans within reach. When orders arrive, dishes can then be finished in minutes. The same habit helps at home, above all for fast methods such as stir-frying, where there is no time to chop once the pan is hot. The phrase also describes an orderly way of working.