I’ve
been watching a good amount of competition shows lately. A high
percentage of them involve food. And I’ve learned something from
the judges: There’s a big difference between adding an ingredient
and naming an ingredient.
When
you add an ingredient, it’s in there. But when you name the dish
after it, you’re asking for increased scrutiny.
Let’s
say you make something of a mousse-based tart. Filling is a raspberry
chocolate concoction. The shell is graham crackers, and you top
it with a raspberry liquor flavored whipped cream. While tasting
the nuts for the crust, you decide to bring hazelnuts even more
deeply into the plans. Some into the crust and then a light chop
for a few to sprinkle on as a finisher.
If
you call your dish a Chambord chocolate tart, the hazelnuts might
get praised. Nice flavor. Salty enhancing the sweet. Adds some
texture and crunch. Great part of the dish.
But
expectations change if you call it a raspberry hazelnut tart.
Suddenly they don’t seem as subtle. You said hazelnuts, so there
had better be a hazelnut taste in the dish.
In
either case, you might have made a brilliant dessert. I’m craving
chocolate, raspberries and hazelnuts right now. But the announcement,
the name, created a shift in expectations. Regular Oreo or Double
Stuf, each version is pretty good. But once you say it’s double
stuff, you’d better present more cream filling.
I’m
standing outside contemplating some of the things I need to get
done. Deck needs to be stained. Should also grab some paint and
work on the doorframes of the house and do some touch ups on the
shed. Cars could use washing. Few hedges need to be trimmed. And
the items on my checklist keep adding up and expanding. Paint
one thing, see three other things that could be painted. And if
I paint all four, I’ll need to run to the store for at least two
of the paints. Start gardening, then notice other places that
could use weeds pulled up.
The
results fall into two sections:
First
– Once I put something on the list and plan to get it done today,
I’m going to feel horrible if I don’t finish it. Plus, if not
today, and then not tomorrow, the list will never show any progress.
Second
– I swear I’m not looking for credit here. But if I never say
I’m getting the cars washed, and then I get the cars washed
and someone notices, potential bonus credit for the extra effort.
But if I say I am going to get the cars washed, and then I don’t
get the cars washed, someone is definitely going to notice that.
It’s
part two that has my mind wondering right now.
Again,
it’s not the credit. It’s a statement of intent. It’s the meeting
of expectations.
If
you say there’s hazelnut in the dish, there had better be hazelnut
in the dish. If you say you’re going to stain the deck, there
had better be a darn good reason for why you procrastinated and
didn’t.
Earlier
this year I hurt my shoulder. Ended up falling behind in the yardwork,
and it took me a few weeks to finally get caring for the grass
back on something of a normal routine. I knew why it wasn’t getting
done, but still got frustrated by the extra attention required
once I could physically handle it. My reasons were sound, though
in a way I still got punished.
There
are some wrinkles in the thought that still need to be addressed,
but it’s been an interesting path for me to wander. If you’ll
excuse me though, I need to run and errand. I have to pick up
some stain for the deck.