Preparation.

“Think on living.” That inscription describes a progress in opinion. Cease from this antedating of your experience. Sufficient to to-day are the duties of to-day. Don’t waste life in doubts and fears; spend yourself on the work before you, well assured that the right performance of this hour’s duties will be the best preparation for the hours or ages that follow it.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, from "Immortality"

Prepared.

Forewarned, forearmed; to be prepared is half the victory. 

Miguel de Cervantes

GO BLUE!

Consistency.

Marco Pierre White prepares salmon piperade ...

Life in the kitchen is about consistency, it's about focus, it's about discipline, and punctuality.  If you're late, you'll always be late.  If you can't focus you'll be inconsistent.  If you can't stay disciplined, you'll deliver inconsistency, again.  

The key to survival in those three-star restaurants is punctuality, discipline, focus, which all equal consistency and that's what three stars is all about -- consistency.

Ready.

All things are ready, if our minds be so.

William Shakespeare

Warning.

At a time when the military is starting to take the potential for an attack on the national electric grid more seriously, a newly declassified report is warning of an electronic world war launched by Russia, Iran, North Korea, and China that could wipe out North America, Europe, and Israel.

With ease and using a primitive nuclear weapon, a “New Axis” of those aggressive nations could “black out” the Western world, dismantle all electricity and electronics, end water and food supply, and lead to millions of deaths in America.

“Nine of 10 Americans are dead from starvation, disease, and societal collapse. The United States of America ceases to exist,” warned the report declassified by recently decommissioned U.S. Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack.

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Thanks to Kurt and Mr. Wade.

Minds.

All things are ready, if our mind be so.

William Shakespeare

Measuring.

Education should be a preparation for adult life, not an addiction to the playground, and this means reading books, doing sums, learning languages, and in general measuring your interests against a higher standard than the one you currently follow.

Roger Scruton

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Educated.

To be prepared against surprise is to be trained.
To be prepared for surprise is to be educated.

James P. Carse

Preparing.

If you’ve ever watched any chef-related TV show, you know what a high-pressure environment an active kitchen is. Preparing a restaurant meal is all about maximum quality production in the minimal amount of time. Everything must work in order, and one mistake could derail the entire kitchen crew’s flow. So, how do chefs ensure they’re working as efficiently as possible? It all starts before they ever start cooking, with the practice known as mise-en-place.

A French term that translates to “putting in place,” mise-en-place is all about meticulously preparing your workspace and streamlining your workflow so that you can cook quickly and efficiently. It means checking your recipe, carefully measuring ingredients, laying out your tools, and any other preparation needed to make life easier once the dining rush comes.

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