Kaizen

I was reading an article not long ago about improving your running through "optimistic incrementalism." That turns out to be a fancy term for the Japanese philosophy of kaizen, or constant or continuous improvement in small increments. The idea is to work at getting just a little bit better at something everyday, which will pay big dividends in the long run as the improvements add up.

For example, Dave Brailsford, a British cycling coach, decided to implement a strategy he called the "aggregation of marginal gains," which he explained as "the 1 percent margin for improvement in everything you do." He applied it to every aspect of his team's training down to the smallest detail, such as finding each cyclist's optimal pillow to ensure the best night's sleep possible. Brailsford ended up coaching two Tour de France champions, when no British cyclist had ever won the Tour before. Another example is Mike Trout, the world's best baseball player, who works to improve his play in every aspect of the game, including baserunning and positional play, not just hitting. But the kicker for me was when I found out that kaizen is one of Trader Joe's seven core values. I mean, if it works for Trader Joe's, it has to be true, right?

A 1 percent improvement might not sound like much. But let's say you can run a 5K in 30:00. If you run just 1 percent faster, that will get you a PR by 18 seconds (29:42), which is a lot to shave off your best time in one race. And the time savings will obviously be twice that for a 10K and more for even longer races. So 1 percent is a good goal that can be achieved by training just a little bit faster once a week. (You only have to drop your race pace by about 5 seconds per mile, from 9:39 to a little under 9:34, to gain that 1 percent.) And eating 1 percent better, sleeping a few extra minutes, drinking a few more sips of water everyday, etc. You get the idea.

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Cassie and I were talking about our five favorite foods the other day. I listed mushrooms, figs, and lentils right away, but caramelized onions and dates are in the mix, too. Angelo serves a great Sticky Toffee Pudding at the Ivy Inn, like everything else he makes. (Hear an entertaining interview with Angelo at Edacious.) This one is not up to that level, but everyone liked it enough to have seconds (and thirds for some), and Mom even said this might have to be her birthday dessert, which is a mouthful given that it doesn't have funfetti sprinkles in it. 

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Adapted from Sharpham Park

For the pudding
175 grams (scant 1¼ cups; ~10) chopped pitted dates
1½ teaspoons (10 grams) molasses
1½ teaspoons baking soda
250 grams/mls (~1 cup) water
175 grams (1⅓ cups) white spelt flour (all-purpose flour should work fine)
1 teaspoon baking powder
50 grams (3½ tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
185 grams (scant 1 cup) dark brown sugar
2 large eggs

For the toffee sauce
75 grams (⅓ cup) unsalted butter
75 grams (scant ¼ cup) light corn syrup
75 grams (heaped ⅓ cup) dark brown sugar
75 grams (⅓ cup) heavy cream

    1. For the puddings: Place a rack in the center of the oven, and heat to 350 degrees. For individual puddings, thoroughly grease eight 1-cup molds or ramekins, or you can use a standard muffin tin to make 12 smaller puddings. For one large pudding, grease a round 2-quart baking dish.
    2. Place the dates, molasses, baking soda, and water in a 1-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat. Transfer to a regular or personal blender; purée until completely smooth.
    3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.
    4. In a large bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid) until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, together with a spoonful of flour, beating well on medium speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl between additions. Gently stir in the puréed date mixture.
    5. Pour the mixture into the prepared molds, filling each about two-thirds full. Place the molds on a baking sheet. Bake until the puddings are springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20–25 minutes for individual puddings or 40–50 minutes for one large pudding.
    6. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run a sharp paring knife around the edges of each pudding. They don’t call them sticky toffee puddings for nothing, so it can take some coaxing to get them out of the molds; be patient and gentle. You can serve them warm or cooled completely.
    7. For the toffee sauce and to serve: Place the butter, corn syrup, and sugar in a 1-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat, and whisk everything together. Whisk in the cream. Spoon over the puddings, and serve.