Become a Better Cook Now
Ricepaddy’s Rules of the Kitchen
Part 4 – #16-#20
So here it is!! The final installment of Ricepaddy’s Rules!
So far we’ve applied the first 15 rules to know how we cook safely, efficiently and with precision and purpose. The last 5 have to do with the mindset necessary to master this craft – or any other for that matter. And trust me when I say that they are the most important. These rules, more than any of the others, I apply in my life – not just in the kitchen.
16. Be Prepared! – I like to use “The Law of 6 P’s” – Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance! Mental, physical and even spiritual preparation is necessary to get anything done correctly. You may not need to go to the lengths that I do, but it’s still essential. When I go to work, I make sure that I’m well fed, well rested and in good spirits to tackle 8 hours or more of Kitchen Chaos. I will see to it that I have a clear plan of what needs to be accomplished and how I will get it done. And one must also be prepared to make adjustments to the plan. As we all should know, the plan is the plan until it’s not.
17. Learn and Grow. Always. – Knowledge is infinite! You will never know everything but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. The more that I learn, even after 33 years and more, the more I come to understand how much I truly Don’t know! I am far more willing to learn new things now than I have ever been in my career. The most successful people that I’ve ever met, in any industry, have all been those who never stop learning. And on the flip side, the people that I’ve seen stagnate are all people who think they know it all already. Be humble and keep learning and you will accomplish amazing things!
18. Show Up!! – Massive Action is required for anything to happen anywhere! And I know that everyone takes massive action toward something, even if it’s watching Netflix. And the first action required is to show up, like turning on the TV and logging into your Netflix account. You must be willing to be present and take action if you are to accomplish what you want. You have to START before you can do anything else, nevermind finishing. The first step to cooking is showing up in the kitchen! Take action!
19. Don’t Make Excuses! – The key to success of any kind, especially in cooking is taking responsibility for what happens. Something Will go wrong! This is inevitable. And excuses are what we tell ourselves and others to foster the belief that the responsibility isn’t ours when something does go wrong. What you need to do is to make a better plan instead of excuses. Whatever goes wrong might not be your fault but it IS your responsibility to plan for it when you try again. Own the situation and take responsibility. Excuses are like armpits – We all have them, They all stink and no one is interested in listening to them.
20. Master the Basics! – This is the rule to rule them all! The Shaolin monks have a saying – “I am not afraid of the 10,000 strikes that you have practiced once. I am deathly afraid of the one strike that you have practiced 10,000 times.” You must practice what you know to the point of mastery and then seek to exceed it. Become a master at food safety, at tasting your food, at having a good attitude and so on. Practice until what you’ve learned comes as easily to you as tying your shoes. What makes a Master of any craft is the sum of all the basic concepts that have been mastered. In other words – To become a master, you must master the Basics.
I’m sure that when you think about all 20 of my rules, you will see that they apply to far more than just cooking. They apply to everything!
Since food is what I know best and because we all have to eat, this is how I will relay my wisdom to you in future articles. The concepts behind ALL of my rules can be applied to any skill you choose to pursue.
Do things safely, do them ethically, do them with precision and work hard to be better everyday! And…..
The success that you seek will be yours!
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