For me to become a professional chef again, I had to repeat techniques over and over again until they became part of me, and the knowledge was ingrained in my hands. Until then, I couldn’t concentrate on the texture of the dish or the combination of flavors. Because of my faulty memory, I have copies of each recipe taped to the cabinets showing each step of the procedure in case I forget. I go over and over each recipe in my mind for days before I actually cook them. My knives, pots and pans all have to be in a certain order or I am lost and confused.

What most people don't understand about professional cooking is that it is not all about the better recipe, the best presentation, the most creative combination of ingredients. It’s more about consistency, unvarying repetition, over and over in exactly the same way. That’s why one of the most essential tools you can have is a set of digital scales. I convert all the liquid and dry measurements to weight for accuracy. If you ask three cooks to measure out a tablespoon of cornmeal, chances are you will wind up with varying amounts. Multiply that by the number of measurements in the recipe and there’s quite a bit of room for error. But an ounce is still an ounce no matter who measures it. Once a recipe is "set" anyone can make it, the hundredth one will taste the same as the first. 

I don’t care much for American cooks, an opinion shared with a lot of other chefs. Generally speaking, American cooks suck. Most born in the USA, school-trained, culinary sophisticated types have a sense of entitlement. With few exceptions, they are lazy, undisciplined and, worst of all, high-maintenance. Annoyingly opinionated, possessed of egos requiring constant stroking.