If I were to map my trajectory as a cook, plotting the growth of my ability to put a decent meal together, the line would be all over the place. I didn’t plan to learn a few fundamental dishes first and then build expertise in a logical fashion. When I read stories about the development of skilled cooks, I wonder why I didn’t master the poached egg years ago. Looking back, I realize that the people I was with and the context of my life gave me opportunities to try different things at different times, learning as I went. And now, after years of cooking, I have enough accumulated knowledge to put together a variety of dishes without intensive study or preparation. When I stumble