A Sharp Knife And A Sturdy Pan

Kitchen gadgets come in an endless variety. So many of them appear to have a singular purpose.

Empanada maker. Salad spinner. Spiralizer. Avocado slicer. Watermelon slicer. Tomato slicer. Apple corer.

The list goes on and on and on.

Yet when you begin to cook your own food, read recipes or pick up a book about the craft of cooking, there are invariably just two tools you must have (in addition to a stove/oven)—a sharp knife and a sturdy pan.

That's it. Two items can help you prepare the vast majority of food you'll consume.

Your ability to use those items to create something delicious then relies on the ingredients you use, your skill with them which is often based on experience and practice, and your imagination.

You do know you don't have to stick to a recipe word for word, right? Unless you're baking, and that's when the chemistry involved is more precise.

Advertising is the same.

You need art.

You need copy.

You need attention to craft and the ability to generate mountains of ideas.

Banner ads. Billboards. Brochures. Content marketing stories. Long form print. Online video. Radio. Short form print. Social media ads or posts. TV. Websites. White papers.

The specific medium doesn't matter. If you're a copywriter, you can write ads in any format. If you're an art director, you can design in any format.

The fundamentals don't change.

Only the way the "experts" pitch them to clients and make hiring decisions change.

Vacation

This has been a week to relax. Sure we've had adventures, but this trip has mostly been about the beach. There has also been beer and briquets ... and even S'mores at night on the beach.

Keep Your Veggies Fresh

Sometimes you find gear that is so good, you use it all the time and don't even think about how it well it does its job. If you're like me, you're much more likely to notice when something doesn't work.

Sometimes you find gear that is so good, you use it all the time and don't even think about how well it does its job. If you're like me, you're much more likely to notice when something doesn't work.

The FridgeSmart® system from Tupperware is something I rely on day in and day out. It's not  I reach for some still-fresh spinach that was picked in our garden weeks ago that I recall how wonderfully it works.

Yes, it's a set of expensive plastic. And it's worth every penny to keep veggies from our garden fresh and delicious.