The Recipe of What Makes an Expert ? – 05 Lessons from the Grand Mother’s Kitchen

I have been a food enthusiast all my life. Being so, made me roam around in kitchens for recipes, expertise and ‘the secret ingredients’
I saw masters in action and their ‘not so secret’ secret ingredients.

I discovered that the most magical secret ingredient was the ‘expertise’ and not a spice.
This and much more became clear to me when I entered the kitchen of a Super Cook Grand-Mother.

OK! Let me clarify, we are not going to share A GOOD FOOD RECIPE, but we are going to share THE RECIPE of WHAT makes an EXPERT? (there are many, and this is one).

[ctt template=”3″ link=”9l0aH” via=”yes” ]All the Experts will have at-least two things in common: They know what they are doing, and they do it with deliberate focus.[/ctt]

Experts have child-like curiosity , don’t refrain from experimentation, are courageous in their expression and humble most of the times.

Novices are just the opposite.

Mojo Of Small Things presents straight from The Grand Mother’s Kitchen Diaries: THE RECIPE of WHAT makes an EXPERT?

Lesson 01:
Start with an end in mind, and then work backwards.

Cooking is rewarding but time consuming, just like all value creating tasks.

You may have access to a well stocked pantry (and other resources), but it still doesn’t makes sense to consume copiously and more.

[ctt template=”3″ link=”3PIe3″ via=”yes” ]One way to ‘Get more done with less’ is to Start with an end in mind.[/ctt]

OK, You may say, we all do it. Otherwise Why would anyone start in first place?

Starting with an end in mind is not the full story; the full story is – Start with an end in mind and once it is decided: Work Backwards to correct your time-lines and get things done.

The same way soaking, grinding or sprouting is planned before the meal?

Novices start forward, and fail backward.
Experts start backward, and fail forward.

Lesson 02:
Ask for data, but not much.

Data is powerful, only if you know how to use it and for what?
Having data is great but more of it is not.Trust and train your intuition,

[ctt template=”3″ link=”ahbDl” via=”yes” ]The kitchen novice does it with measurement and may get it right most of the times,while An expert does it with gut and gets it right all the times.[/ctt]

Estimating how many people to serve is an information for a novice, and a hint for an expert.

A novice will just use the principle of multipliers and multiply the ingredients to number of people, while an expert looks at the meal holistically.

Moving from a novice to further higher levels requires that you make more attempts, make more mistakes and get them right on your way.

Intuition is a superpower,but unleashing happens when you believe in it.

Lesson 03:
Clean-up is also part of the job.
Do it all or don’t do it at all.

The novice hates this job, well on a candid side – he believes that CLEANING is not HIS job.
The expert is neutral about it, and considers CLEANING as an integral part of the whole process.

This acceptance gives an expert power to experiment, fuse things and processes and learn on the way. Thus becoming better at the craft eventually.

[ctt template=”3″ link=”QZo37″ via=”yes” ]Experts develop processes and routines to take care of the sundry, so that they can become creative at their craft.[/ctt]

Finicky? This is what makes them an expert and not the other way round.

Lesson 04:
Uncomplicate by NOT over-promising.

[ctt template=”3″ link=”Rc2Ac” via=”yes” ]The real test of any craft lies in “Uncomplicating things by NOT over-promising”.[/ctt]

An expert is realistic and never over promises : he may deliberately surprise you by over-delivering. An expert chooses to produce less but significant and valuable.

A novice may end up over-promising: because of ambition, lack of experience, or to make that leap and deliver a lot of ordinary stuff (and stay a novice all the way).

SO when the expert sets the table: few things, and all well prepared.
Whereas when a Novice sets the table: many things, and few well prepared.

Lesson 05:
Plan, but not much.

Planning is one of the very crucial step towards greatness (again this is not the complete story).

Too much planning will make you a novice, while broad planning that keeps space for courage will usher you towards the path of being an expert.

Whether it is meeting new people, traveling to new places, trying something new in the craft: they plan but stay courageous.

[ctt template=”3″ link=”2p9cB” via=”yes” ]For a Novice: Plan is the Path. For an Expert: Plan is the Parachute.[/ctt]

Yeah! Was it all? Not quite.

[ctt template=”3″ link=”5hLA2″ via=”yes” ]Here is the recipe of what makes an Expert.
Curiosity – Courage – Minimalism – Intuition – ‘No Job is Dirty Job’ Mindset.[/ctt]

The session ended with good food – few things but well prepared.

More from Grand Mother’s Kitchen coming soon.

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