Decades of an intense career kept me
buried in a shallow knowledge trough a mile wide and an inch deep.
I defensively called myself a generalist, but it felt like a painful admission of imperfection.
Several weeks into retirement, with time and an ability to more deeply focus, I dug into a bucket list of Master Classes to satisfy my passions.
First up, Thomas Keller Teaches
Cooking Techniques.
Lessons From A Master
Keller holds 3 Michelin stars each for
both Per Se, his New York restaurant, and the perennial favorite
for those traveling through California’s Napa Valley region, French
Laundry.
His online Master
Class is a review of fundamental
kitchen techniques. Pot-blanching asparagus. Baking beets. Pureeing
parsnips. The proper knife for the proper task.
At first, I was disappointed. I’d hoped he’d provide tips on how best to replicate his renowned dishes at home.
My culinary memories reveal a lifetime of cooking high crimes and misdemeanors. Short-cuts taken at the stove. Forgotten ingredients. Knives not sharpened. Over-cooking. Under-cooking. Not placing the top on the blender before pushing the start button. And what remains for me as the final frontier: plating.
Perhaps a review of the fundamentals was clearly in order. If I can’t perform on the basics, there’s no chance of orchestrating a full-on Keller meal.
After all, isn’t living in the
details what I now crave?
Which caused me to wonder…
Am I Running My Life In The Same Imperfect Way I Run My Kitchen?
I’ve no expectation my version of
lemon-brined fried chicken and smoked salmon crisps will remotely taste like
Keller’s dish. Keller isn’t guaranteeing any such outcome. He’s interested in
adherence to the steps that lead to good outcomes.
To that end, he offers us the six highly recognizable disciplines leading to his success in the kitchen and in business.
- organization
- efficiency
- critical feedback
- repetition
- rituals
- teamwork
It’s about process and creativity. Not perfection.
But what’s the goal here?
I Master, Therefore I Am
Doesn’t master
mean to perfect? Doesn’t being a master mean
one is a perfectionist?
Oprah says, “A master is
someone who has fully stepped in and owned the full progress and trajectory of
their life.” (Take a few moments to view her exquisite definition, here).
Her Master Class interviews
reveal the fragile dispositions of those we consider to be the greats. If
we listen carefully, their quest for perfection bends – out of necessity
– away from the need for perfection toward a search for authenticity.
Simon Sinek, motivational speaker, and marketing consultant affirms that “Authenticity is about imperfection. And authenticity is a very human quality. To be authentic is to be at peace with your imperfections.”
Whether salesperson or superstar, most Masters have reached detente with their imperfections.
In the end, don’t we get the most
out of Masters who immerse us in their branded sense of themselves…their
authenticity?
That’s where perfection lies.
I can live with that.
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