Escoffier kept a positive attitude. “Even though I wouldn’t have chosen it,” he wrote, “since I am here, let me do my best to improve the standing of my profession.”

Excellence requires commitment; your commitment demands adherence to your mise-en-place, your practice, your system. Anything else and you, too, will be counting on luck or genius.

Excellence arises from refining good process—how can I do this better, or easier, or with less waste? It’s a job, like preparation, that never ends.