Gourmet the Jack-of-All Way

I love to cook. I don't think it's so much because I'm good at it (which I am) or because I love to eat (which I do), but because I love the CREATION of the whole thing. I love that combining a dash of this and pinch of that can yield something entirely new. Think about it: what started as a chicken breast, raw pasta, tomatoes and a few spices will, in twenty or thirty minutes, be a single dish of food that has never existed before (and, in about five minutes, will exist no longer). So what is the wash-rinse-and-repeat of making delicious, healthful, "gourmet" dishes?

As always, it's very simple:

1. Choose fresh, simple ingredients -- no more than five (say: chicken breast, garlic, canned San Marzano tomatoes, basil, onion)
2. Cook the protein first (chicken) with a little salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Cook the other ingredients second -- starting with the stuff that takes the longest to cook (in order: onion, garlic, tomatoes). Add salt and pepper.
4. Combine them.
5. Add herbs (basil).
6. Serve.

In my quest to make things even simpler:

1. Buy fresh food.
2. Add heat.
3. Serve.

You have to be an amazing chef to make frozen food good, or to make dishes with dozens of ingredients. That's hard. Every now and then, I give it a shot, but it seems like the payoff is rarely worth the effort.

This was all driven home in last season's Top Chef. I'm a huge fan, but the people who make overly-complicated dishes that used super-fancy techniques almost never win. They obviously are trained chefs with mad skills, but the judges' favorites are invariably the simple, clean dishes that use follow my simple rules.

Delicious.

Barrack Reads this Blog

As I watch the election results and the commentators, the same thing strikes me repeatedly: Barrack Obama should not have won this race.  But he did, and he did it by thinking small. By speaking to individuals. He raised record amounts of money, not by attracting a few insanely rich CEOs (although Oprah probably kicked in her share), but by reaching out for $5 here and $100 there. He used the wash-rinse-and-repeat of: "Get one more vote. Get one more dollar. Repeat."  And he got so many single votes — and single dollars — that he drew record crowds at the polls and record funds at the bank.  One of the wisest people I've ever met is a professional dresser at Theatre Under the Stars in Houston, Texas. When I did Miss Saigon there a number of years ago, she was assigned the unenviable task of taking care of a dressing room of four ensemble men. Primarily, the white guys play GIs, but we have a surprising number of costumes, all of which she took care of.  The four tallest GIs were also chosen to be four Uncles-Sam in “The American Dream” sequence. I was the fourth tallest. This gave me an additional very quick costume change that put me in an utter panic at dress rehearsal.  Our dresser smiled and said, in a thick Texas drawl, “Baby, the only way to do somethin’ fast is to do it slow.” That inspired me then and continues to now. And I imagine that, if he doesn’t read this blog, President-Elect Obama heard something similar along the way... only he paraphrased: The only way to do something big is to do something small. 

To Blog or to Do...?

I have a hard time updating this blog. Why is that? Because I'm not a professional blogger. For that matter, while I am a pretty good writer, it's not what I do for a living (yet). I am a do-er. A man of action. And so are you (or ... person), or you wouldn't be interested in this blog or the book it promises. How to find balance? I don't know. That's right. No idea.  Every week, I do eight shows a week of a great Off Broadway musical, teach about eight or ten voice students how to be better singers, design a website or two and try to cultivate at least one new client.  I'm not complaining. I love my life, both the personal half and the professional one. But it doesn't leave much time for writing about all I do. In fact, I'm running late for something right now.  Keep checkin' in, though. I promise I'll have something else inspiring very soon!

Repeat. Then repeat again.

I have gotten a few questions about my "Wash, Rinse & Repeat" philosophy. As an actor, I have a lot of friends in the arts who have said (I think in a smart ass way), "If it's so easy, then why am I not a star?" Or some variation on that theme. For that matter, pointed out one reader, "why are YOU not a star?"  Touche. The answer -- like everything else in life -- is simple. Those readers are focusing on the "wash, rinse" part and completely overlooking the "repeat." My philosophy boils down to this: nothing is complicated. But, if I had to add a sentence, I'd also say: "Nothing worth doing is easy." It's that damned "repeat" part. I mean, c'mon. Here's a little parable from the world of theater — which I happen to know something about. Meet Paul (not a real person). He moved to New York, determined to make it as an actor. He was to be a force on the Broadway stage before crossing over into starring roles on the silver screen. His plan was mapped. Now, if I was to offer a Wash, Rinse & Repeat for theater, it would be:  1. Show up. 2. Be great. Paul is a smart guy, so he reads this blog and, armed with that knowledge, goes to an audition. Let's say it's an open call for a new Broadway musical of the movie Forrest Gump. (As far as I know, no such musical is in development, but if it is, I'd like to be seen for Forrest.)

Paul does what I've instructed. He gets up early, gets to the audition, and he sings his face off. He is brilliant. 

But, of course, so is everyone else. So are people who have numerous Broadway credits and established relationships with the decision makers. Not only doesn't Paul book the role, he never hears from the casting director again. 

Furious and heartbroken, he e-mails me (I'm his mentor, after all) and accuses of me of over-simplifying. Of saying it was as easy as showing up and being great.

Okay, class, what did Paul forget? Which part of the process? He washed. He rinsed. He did not repeat.

Sometimes it will take months -- even years -- of repeating. The same goes for whatever you're struggling with. You read my chapter on getting a raise, and you didn't get it on the "wash-and-rinse." So you throw in the towel.

Don't. You can't. I have no intention of being inspirational or touchy-feely. I'm not your cheerleader. You have to be that. I'm just stating the simplest truth I know: figure out what works and do it. Then do it again. Then do it again.

You'll be a star.

(And so will I.)

Visualizing and Action

I am a huge believer in the power of positive visualization. Some people talk about it in terms of The Secret, but the concepts have been around for centuries. Every religion includes these ideas. (Jesus himself tells a man he healed, "Your faith has made you whole." And Buddhists are all about chanting for positive movement in your life and the lives of those around you.)

Too often, though, people use this as a cop-out. I grew up in a very religious community and was so tired of hearing, “I prayed on it” as a statement of action. Don't get me wrong, connecting with your Higher Power is great (I do it all the time), but it's not enough.

I believe that the Universe responds to action.It's one thing to sit and think about how much you wish you'd get that job or have more money coming in. It's another thing, entirely, to take action and move toward what you want. By going out and shaking the branches for new clients, you'll be amazed at how many “come out of nowhere."

This just happened to me this week. I've been working on two major things: this book and my design business. As I've hustled for new clients for the design business, I have been astounded at how many old clients have come out of the woodwork for updates/new projects. I even got a referral from a friend I haven't really spoken with in years.

This is what Jack of All is ultimately about: taking action in all areas of your life toward the things that you really want, and recognizing that you don't have to over-complicate things. The steps to running a marathon are simple: left foot, right foot. That doesn't mean you don't need to train or have good running shoes. It's important to prepare. But, at the end of the day, when you're rounding mile 25, you'll just be putting one foot in front of the other.

Making a sale to an important client is just a matter of asking questions and really listening to their answers. Over and over again. Be genuinely interested in the answer, and act honestly toward helping them solve their problem. You'll be shocked how well and quickly your clients will respond.

Certainly better if you'd just sat around visualizing the sale.

Evolution

This book is really evolving. I am shocked, actually, at the path it's taking. What started as a short, funny "be good at everything" book is becoming a still-short, still-funny, pretty deeply philosophical lifestyle.  In the process of writing some sample chapters for my pitch, I am seeing more and more that everything is simple. There isn't a thing on earth that is really so complicated. That doesn't mean everything is easy, mind you. Still, I can't think of anything anyone would want to do that isn't a matter of mastering a few basics and then slowly building on them. I know what you're thinking: "I'm an accountant/lawyer/ballet dancer, and I spent years learning the intricacies of my field." You did. That's true. But will you agree that the basics of solid accounting are addition and subtraction? And the basics of being a good lawyer are listening and responding? And every dancer I know still swears by the time he or she spends at the barre every single day. The fundamentals. Most of us try to do things the hard way first. We don't generally consider that for everything worth doing, there is a simple, step-by-step approach that will ultimately get us from point a to point b. I will close by reminding you of the tortoise and the hare. Those old friends who raced each other one sunny day in ancient Greece. Mr. Hare ran full out and, had he been willing (and able) to maintain that pace for a bit longer, he would certainly have won the race. The old Turtle, on the other hand, maintained a slow, steady pace. He did things simply: left foot, right foot.  And he won. So will you.

I've Never....

There's a drinking game out there called I Never.  Have you ever played it? If so, take a drink. That's how the game works. People throw out unusual things and the people who have done them have to take a swig.  Since I'm a pretty straight-laced guy (no drugs, not much of a wild past), I always leave stone sober. That's part of what this blog and book are about for me: doing things that I've never done and helping you guys do them, too.  I have never run a marathon or climbed a mountain (outside of day hikes). I am going to do both because I want to put them in the book.  Be sure to give me your input. I'll totally be your guinea pig and figure out how to crack the code so you can do them, too. Then we can get ripped together at the next party.