The search for perfection

At one time I worked as a saucier in a professional kitchen. Every Sunday I would create another large batch of Hollandaise sauce for the legion of Eggs Benedict that we sold. It never once occurred to me that I shouldn’t be making Hollandaise sauce because it had been done before, and by better chefs. All I knew was that this was my sauce, and that each week I was striving to improve over the previous week. A better ingredient. More subtlety or brashness in the seasoning. A better job of clarifying the butter. Every week was a new challenge that I looked forward to and enjoyed.

So I just don’t get it when someone tells me that my sunset image is a cliche. It’s my image. It’s my interpretation of the event. It’s me who experienced the beauty of the sunset and who enjoyed its creation. I intend to keep creating these images, without a concern for how many more cliches I’m creating.

There’s no shame in revisiting old comforts and familiar experiences, just as there’s no shame in ordering Eggs Benedict every Sunday.