Everything in life is an opportunity to practice devotion. When we remember that everything we do from the way we worship to the way we eat has the potential to be an act of devotion, then we have the potential to practice living a life of devotion. Recently, I found an exercise about eating one raisin which reminded me to think about all that I eat and drink in the same way. How differently would I eat and drink if I went through a process of honoring and appreciating every little thing about that which sustains me. So this morning, I thought I would share this devotional approach to eating with you. I encourage each of us to do this with at least one food item each day. It doesn’t have to be a raisin, but we could begin there. This morning, I am going to start with broccoli as it is what I am having for breakfast.
Read moreWhat is your signature dish?
What is your signature dish? That is the question Bobby Flay asks each contestant who has come to challenge him to a throwdown. The question really inspired me this morning. A signature dish is a recipe that is like a chef’s fingerprints. It becomes one of those dishes that one could eat in a blind test taste and know who cooked the meal. I have seen it compared to how an artist has his or her own unique style or a writer who has his or her own voice. The dish itself does not need to be unique, but the manner in which it is prepared is. Whatever the dish is, most chefs talk about how they have been working on perfecting their signature dish for years, sometimes decades.
In an issue of Food & Wine magazine, they identified the signature dishes of 10 world-renowned chefs. Wolfgang Puck’s was Pork Schnitzel, Thomas Keller’s was Smoked Salmon Crisps, Daniel Boulud's was Chilled Spring Pea Soup, Mario Batali's was Bucatini all'Amatriciana, Rick Bayless's was Carne Asada with Black Beans, José Andrés's was Paella with Shrimp and Squid, Gale Gand's was Lemon Meringue Pie , John Besh's was August Chopped Salad, Tom Colicchio's was Braised Short Ribs, and Nobu Matsuhisa's was Black Cod with Miso.[1] Each of these chefs had spent years devoted to perfecting this one dish.
Read moreIt is all about the devotion
The last few days I have been thinking about how many times I have heard or read stories about how people have devoted their lives to perfecting their craft. In reading the stories of now renowned chefs, I have heard their reflections on how those who mentored them would have them devote blocks of time to preparing a single vegetable. For example, months spend learning how to properly clean an artichoke. People who are renowned for what they do in life, are so because they have devoted their life to perfecting their craft. In the process of trying to find some examples to share about the importance of devotion to the process of cooking, and in reality anything in our lives, I came upon this article about Jiro Ono. This story about him and his devotion is inspiring and carries valuable lessons for each of us, encouraging each of us to become devoted to being the best we can be with the talents we have been given, regardless of what we do.
Jiro Dreams of Sushi is a documentary on the life and craft of the great 85-year-old sushi master Jiro Ono who owns a tiny 10-seat shop in Tokyo that has the highest Michelin Guide rating of three stars.
To get a seat you must make a reservation months in advance. The courses are carefully planned and the creation and serving of the meal is a multi-course symphony of sushi that some guests have even described as “stressful” yet an experience like no other. Jiro himself serves each course to his guests and carefully examines their faces as they taste his elegant works of edible art. What follows is the wisdom distilled from the great sushi chef on how to master your craft.
1. Learn from the best. Sometimes you must learn to fail before you learn to succeed.
Yamamoto, a renowned Japanese food writer, says: “When you work for Jiro, he teaches you for free. But, you have to endure ten years of training. If you persevere for ten years you will acquire the skills to be recognized as a first-rate chef.”
In Jiro’s restaurant, many apprentices do not make it to the next level. Yet there are those who persevere. For example, one of the apprentice sushi chefs tried over 400 times to make egg sushi that met Jiro’s standards of being worthy to be served. When he finally received Jiro’s approval, he was overwhelmed with joy and cried.
Take away lesson: Only when you understand what it feels like to fail and try again will you be able to cherish the moment when you achieve success.
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