I love to cook.

I savor the smell of sautéing onions in olive oil. The fragrance of a chicken roasting in the oven stuffed with lemons and rosemary. I also love managing the process: culinary project management.

My culinary project management process begins with planning the meal to ensure each stage of the meal is delivered in the optimal way for the most enjoyment. I especially like the challenge of getting complex dishes to come together at the same time for a holiday or celebratory gathering. At the risk of sounding geeky, making order out of chaos is my jam, hence my love of cooking and project management.

Recipe for Project Management Mastery à la Studiolo Secondari

Step 1: Define your challenge and your desired outcome. 

• FOR A PROJECT: define the problem that needs to be solved and the desired outcome

• FOR A MEAL: decide on the menu and list your ingredients and cooking apparatus.

Step 2: Identify your success metrics.

• FOR A PROJECT: think about your desired outcome (step 1); how that will impact the end-user; and how you will know when you have achieved success (i.e. post-meal, a happy crowd with full bellies).

• FOR A MEAL: identify your diners (i.e. determine any dietary restrictions) and what they want from the meal (i.e. fancy occasion or casual celebration).

Step 3: Plan your schedule and map out tasks.

• FOR A PROJECT: plot project tranches, put together a team, coordinate deliverables, and ensure there is plenty of time for communication, feedback, and reconsideration (again, remember your desired outcomes from step 1!).

• FOR A MEAL: make a grocery list, calculate cooking time for dishes, and determine which preparation methods you will use. (I remember a Thanksgiving supper in the early 1990s when I had only two burners and an oven that barely fit the bird! I created a flow chart for all of the dishes, so that I could get them all prepared and reheated in time for the meal.)

Step 4: Execute.

• FOR A PROJECT: keep everything moving in the same direction to back into your launch date.

• FOR A MEAL: make sure you have enough burners, make the sauce, and let the meat rest.

Step 5: Stop and taste!

• FOR A PROJECT: check in with your audience, stakeholders, and team to make sure the pieces are still moving and the desired outcome is still accurate. Launch/publish/go live!

• FOR A MEAL: before serving, taste everything to ensure it is seasoned properly. Once the food is served, check-in with your diners and make sure everyone has what they need.

My loves of cooking and project management have been realized simultaneously through designing books about food (some examples above). I hope this culinary project management recipe helps you achieve success in the kitchen, at the office, and beyond!

Still Hungry for more? Pasta à la Puttanesca

Check out my recipe for Pasta à la Puttanesca, which is a great pantry dish. Nearly all of the ingredients can be kept on hand indefinitely. By adding olive oil packed tuna, you get protein to make it into a complete one dish meal!