King Cake and the Art of Realistic Perfectionism

By Rebecca

A few weeks ago, I had a craving for Cajun food. Naturally, that meant whipping up a hearty pot of gumbo, a crisp tossed salad with homemade remoulade dressing, and—because I can’t resist trying something new—baking a king cake for dessert.

If you’re unfamiliar with king cake, it’s a Louisiana staple during Carnival season. This time of year, leading up to Lent, is filled with celebration, indulgence, and, of course, food. The king cake itself is a rich brioche-style bread, often filled with cinnamon sugar or a sweet cream cheese, twisted into a ring, and baked to perfection. The cake is more than just a dessert; it carries deep symbolism, tradition, and a festive spirit.

The Lesson in Imperfection

So, what does king cake have to do with what I call realistic perfectionism? I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist in the kitchen, always wanting my food to turn out just right. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that things don’t always go as planned. My king cakes looked pretty, and the bread was delicious, but I made one small mistake—I didn’t roll the dough tightly enough, which caused most of the filling to ooze out during baking.

At that moment, I had two choices:

1. Let my disappointment overshadow the experience and avoid making king cake again.

2. Embrace the learning process, appreciate what did go well, and try again with a slight adjustment.

I chose the latter. The cake was still delicious, and now I know how to improve it next time. I’ll give an update after my next attempt.

Cooking, Risks, and Reward

Cooking—like life—is about trial and error. I’ve always followed the saying, if something is worth doing, it is worth doing well. However, I’ve learned that if something is truly worth doing, it is worth doing poorly.  A January 30, 2025 article in the magazine, The Atlantic was titled, "The Benefit of Doing Things Your're Bad At". Written by Arthur C. Brooks, he talked about how trying new skills means risking failure. In his summary he quotes the old idiom, nothing ventured, nothing gained. If we let perfectionism stop us from trying new things, or we stop doing something we enjoy because we can’t do it perfectly, we miss out on some of the best experiences. Mistakes don’t mean failure; they mean growth. Whether in the kitchen or beyond, taking risks and learning from the outcome is always worth the effort. Yes, I still would like my cooking to always be perfect, but even a less than perfect result is better than not cooking anything. That is why I have decided to call it “realistic perfectionism”.

So, if you’ve been hesitating to try a new recipe, or try a new endeavor, take this as your sign to go for it. It doesn’t have to be perfect to be worth it. After all, sometimes the best results come from the unexpected.

Which would you choose? No king cake or a less than perfect king cake?

Please send me your thoughts.  I always love to hear from you.

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