When we try to take multiple steps towards refinement and evolution in a dish, things often get muddled. Figuring out what that one step is, that will elevate an experience, makes all the difference. Whether it’s smoking roasted chicken bones or adding browned pepperoni bits to ramen broth, it’s usually easy to identify that step in hindsight. We can always tell when we miss our mark. Sometimes in the thick of creation, we keep adding layer upon layer of innovation in order to increase flavor, without realizing that excess can have the opposite effect. It is one step to the top of the peak and one step more to begin the downward slide.