Remember when your grandparents so wisely told you “a watched pot never boils?” We were taught to translate that into every aspect of our lives, whether it be personal or business. However, that statement could not be more wrong. A watched pot does boil and a seasoned pot, though it takes a little longer, will yield a better product. An unwatched pot tends to boil down to nothing, forcing you to start over.
In culinary arts you have your Mise En Place, or what you are working with (ingredients, equipment, etc.). Mise En Place roughly translates to ‘everything in its place’ or ‘set up’. Without it you have nothing to do and nowhere to go. We are our own Mise En Place in life. We are our own equipment while our circumstances are our ingredients and cooking environment.
When boiling water for anything you need three things; a pot, water, and heat. With these three base elements you can make anything from soup to coffee. All you need is to find the right ingredients and processes. Making soup takes far longer than making pasta or tea, though, some people prefer a hot cup of tea over a bowl of soup. The more you want to do in life the more ingredients you will need. Some people find their Mise En Place in college, a trade school, or even just living life. One does not hold more bearing over another.
You have a pot: you. All you need now is to discover the recipe, what you want to make, with that pot. Once you find your recipe, finding ingredients becomes that much easier. Sometimes you have to learn new techniques to make the ingredients fit into your recipe better, and that’s okay. Find your passion and learn new ways to achieve your dreams. It takes time and patience, but when you have all the right ingredients and put them into your pot, your recipe comes to life.