Did you know that some of your favorite dishes started as a big mistake? The special French version of apple pie, Tarte Tatin? It came together because a chef frantically tried to cover up overcooked apples with pastry. Caesar salad? It was an emergency fix for a dining room full of hungry customers when the kitchen at Ceasar Cardini’s restaurant ran out of supplies. So, what’s the moral of the story? Reaching for the soft skill of creativity in tough, pressured moments isn’t optional—it’s indispensable!
Justin Wang can tell you a lot about tough times—he spent most of 2018 recovering from a heart transplant. The surgery was successful, but it left the 16-year old foodie with a terrible problem: Many of his preferred meals were now off-limits. His sudden illness presented him with two choices: subscribe to a bland, play-it-safe diet, or reinvent the way he cooked. Into the kitchen he went, trying to find the perfect mix of healthy and full of flavor.
Recipe testing was rewarding, but it proved to be an unexpected mental and physical challenge. Justin remembers, “It may not seem like a lot to you, but to me, grabbing the pots and pans, going to the pantry to grab some ingredients, and going to the freezer and back to the stove was a lot of exercise when I couldn’t even barely walk.”
Justin watched videos for tips and became hooked by the chefs at Tasty. When the team at the Make a Wish Foundation approached him, he only had one wish: a visit to the Tasty set. (Be sure to watch the YouTube video of his visit and guest appearance filming the chow mein recipe from his cookbook, Justin’s Hearty Recipes.)
Justin’s love for great food was a keeper. But How he might make that happen—changing what he ate and the means for preparing it—required plenty of imagination. That’s why his story relates to the October series, Little by Little. It shows how complete answers to hard problems don’t suddenly appear—they often unfold one step at a time.
If you’re facing a hard situation that doesn’t seem to have a solution, turn to the soft skill of creativity. But take a tip from Justin Wang’s experience—you’ll need to apply a little curiosity with a lot of diligence before you find the perfect mix. Here are three ways to get started:
It’s inevitable—no matter how meticulous your plans are, something may go
wrong when you least expect it! When that happens, pull on your natural
imagination and get creative with what you’ve got on hand. Like the chefs
above, you may come up with a masterpiece!