We’ve all been there—reading a book, an article, or even studying for an important exam, only to realize that minutes later, we can’t recall much of what we just read. This is the challenge Ellen Cassidy, founder of Elemental Prep, set out to solve after years of teaching LSAT students.
Last year, meez Founder/CEO Josh Sharkey met Ellen through a CEO mastermind group. During one of their discussions, he posed a question most people struggle with: How do you actually remember what you learn?
In this blog, Ellen reveals how she’s cracked the code on learning once and retaining forever—and how culinary leaders can apply these principles in high-pressure kitchen environments to build stronger, more capable teams.
Why Focus on Learning Retention?
Ellen Cassidy’s early years were a mix of peace and hardship. Between the ages of five and eleven, Ellen saw her mother struggle with various addictions and an eating disorder. Without fully grasping the gravity of the situation, she became deeply involved, trying to help her mother overcome it.
This sense of responsibility, she later realized, shaped her drive to help others, particularly in education. It also instilled a deep sense of empathy and purpose, shaping the way she approaches her work and relationships today.
Her method for learning retention wasn’t born from traditional academia but from real-life problem-solving—first for herself, then for students, and now for anyone who wants to remember and apply what they learn more effectively.
For chefs, restaurant owners, and culinary leaders, mastering learning retention is essential—not just for personal growth, but for developing a knowledgeable and efficient team.
Chefs must retain vast amounts of information: recipes, plating techniques, safety protocols, and more. Teaching methods that encourage true retention over rote memorization can mean the difference between a team that struggles with consistency and one that executes flawlessly under pressure.
The Cassidy Method: Making Information Stick
Ellen’s approach is built for anyone who juggles multiple responsibilities and needs assistance retaining knowledge efficiently.
Whether you’re a chef memorizing recipes, a restaurant owner mastering financials, or an investor analyzing market trends, the ability to remember, retrieve, and apply knowledge is critical.
RTQ (Read, Translate, Quip)
Through her research, Ellen developed a method called RTQ: Read, Translate, Quip, which mirrors a technique Benjamin Franklin himself used to master knowledge through steps like reading and then translating.
At its core, RTQ is about actively engaging with information rather than passively consuming it.
1. Read with Intention
When we read, our brain naturally defaults to monotone processing—taking in words without assigning them meaning. Ellen argues that intonation is key—when we read with emotion, rhythm, and emphasis, we engage more parts of the brain, making it easier to recall information later. It’s the difference between robotic repetition and dynamic storytelling.
In the kitchen: Instead of just reciting a recipe, a chef explaining a dish to their team should describe it with enthusiasm, emphasizing key moments in the process. This makes instructions more memorable and engaging.
2. Translate in Your Own Words
After reading a passage, immediately put it into your own words—without looking at the text. This forces your brain to process and internalize the information, rather than just recognizing words on a page. This is similar to how chefs learn techniques in the kitchen. You don’t just watch someone make a gastrique—you do it yourself, over and over, until it becomes second nature.
In the kitchen: When training staff, have them explain back what they’ve learned in their own words. This ensures they truly understand the process rather than just memorizing steps.
3. Quip—React to What You Learned
The final step is what makes RTQ truly unique: respond to the information in some way. Whether it’s a snarky comment, a personal anecdote, or even just laughing at the absurdity of a concept, this step forms deeper neural connections. As Ellen explains, neurons that fire together, wire together—so engaging more areas of your brain ensures the knowledge sticks.
In the kitchen: Encourage cooks to make connections between techniques and past experiences—whether it’s likening the consistency of a sauce to one they made at a different job or remembering a plating technique because it reminds them of a childhood meal.
“Neurons that fire together, wire together. When you recruit other parts of your brain into the action, it's just going to stay without you having to brute force memorize it.”
Why This Works
Traditional studying relies on repetition and rote memorization. RTQ, on the other hand, engages the brain’s natural processes of learning:
- Intonation makes reading more engaging and easier to recall.
- Translation ensures comprehension rather than surface-level familiarity.
- Quipping forms emotional and contextual links, making information stick.
By slowing down and engaging with information sentence by sentence, learners build a stronger foundation for critical thinking. Cassidy likens this process to physical training.
Just as an Olympic athlete runs a mile differently than a casual jogger, strong readers process information differently than those who skim without engagement. The goal is to train your mind to process information actively rather than passively.
Why Memorization Falls Short
Memorization without understanding leads to an inability to apply knowledge in different contexts. People who rely on rote recall often struggle when they encounter information in a new format.
In professional kitchens, this can be a major issue. Some things, like chopping chives, can be memorized and executed automatically, but true expertise comes from deep engagement.
A line cook who memorizes a recipe but doesn’t understand why certain steps are taken may struggle when asked to adapt a dish for dietary restrictions or ingredient substitutions. A chef who deeply understands the techniques, however, can adjust on the fly without compromising quality.
Culinary leaders should create an environment that prioritizes understanding over memorization. Encouraging staff to explain why they do something—whether it’s tempering chocolate or emulsifying a vinaigrette—builds confidence and improves long-term performance.
The Future of Learning Retention in Culinary Training
Cassidy’s methodology challenges conventional note-taking habits, advocating for a more engaged and meaningful approach to learning. Instead of simply transcribing information, chefs and restaurant owners should encourage their teams to internalize concepts by translating them into their own language.
Looking ahead, culinary training programs can take a cue from Cassidy’s approach, implementing structured methods that prioritize retention over repetition. This means more interactive training sessions, more collaborative learning environments, and a greater emphasis on comprehension rather than just execution.
This is exactly where meez comes in. With meez’s training features, chefs can create visual, interactive recipe guides that allow cooks to not just follow instructions but truly understand them.
Instead of handing over a static recipe card, trainers can build step-by-step breakdowns, add notes and tips, and even integrate video demonstrations—encouraging team members to learn by doing and translating instructions into their own workflow.
By using meez, culinary leaders can:
✅ Ensure consistency by standardizing recipes while allowing for contextual learning.
✅ Reduce onboarding time by giving new hires a structured yet flexible training process.
✅ Improve team collaboration through shared insights, notes, and real-time updates.
With tools like meez, culinary leaders can create those interconnected “light points,” allowing teams to retain knowledge and apply it intuitively—not just memorize it for the moment.
"If you imagine a lake and then under the water, there’s like a ball of light that’s linked to all these infinite balls of light… When you hit one pinpoint, all the associated pinpoints light up at once and you get to pick the one that you want, but it’s all subconscious.”
The Path to Better Learning
The future of kitchen training isn’t just about following recipes; it’s about understanding and mastering techniques in a way that sticks.
If you or your team struggle with learning retention, consider Cassidy’s RTQ approach. Instead of repeating instructions, challenge your team to paraphrase, explain, and react to what they learn.
True learning isn’t about cramming as many facts as possible into your brain—it’s about understanding the relationships between ideas and being able to apply them in meaningful ways. By shifting from memorization to comprehension, culinary leaders can build stronger, more adaptable teams that thrive under pressure.
Next time you teach a technique or explain a dish, ask yourself: Is my team truly understanding this, or are they just repeating what they hear? The answer could transform the way you lead in the kitchen.
Listen to the full conversation with Ellen Cassidy on The meez Podcast
