THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Are you committed to excellence?

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Do you have what it takes to succeed?

WHAT 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.

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IS IT IMPORTANT TO YOU?

Growing up in my household, periodically I would, like many teenagers, “forget” to do my chores. My parents would always put me in my place by saying something like, “But you remembered to call your friends, didn’t you? You seem to remember what is important to you!” They were right and it is a lesson I carry with me even today.

As a teenager, doing chores was not important. They were always going to be there and unless I really needed my allowance, which was important, spending time doing chores was not near as important to me as being with my friends. At the time, the choice was simple, time with friends or time without them doing chores. The problem was when my chore was to do laundry and my favorite outfits were not available; then doing laundry was more important than time with friends.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

YOU ARE WORTH THE INVESTMENT!

The other day I came across this quote from Kevin Ngo and it fit perfectly with the theme for this month. Occasionally we all need a word of encouragement or a reminder that we are worth the investment. That includes me. If, as don Miguel Ruiz suggests we do the best we can in all things, then that is our best. We each have the potential to do our best and to know that we can manifest the life we are trying to create. It is important that we always remember to stay focused on the vision we have for the life we are seeking to manifest. If we work on this vision a little bit every day, then we will achieve it. When we stop taking those daily actions in our lives, we inadvertently or unconsciously create the life we do not want. So stay encouraged and create a circle of support, as encouragement is important for all.
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