Anatomy of a Chef

     What I have gleaned from observing chefs is they are a rare breed.  Typically, they have been cooking since a very young age, usually with a family member.  I asked one of the cooks at my externship how long he has been cooking.  He replied 14 years.  He's only 26!  They are thus very comfortable in the kitchen, unlike me.  
     Often, they are very intelligent and have an unusual ability to multitask.  They also thrive under pressure. When it is busy, the kitchen reminds me of an emergency room.  Five tables of four tops (party of 4) could arrive all at once, similar to multiple GSW (gun shot wound) patients on a busy Friday night. 
     Chefs do not like to be idle.  Sitting at a desk all day would be the death of them.  They could not survive traditional education.  Culinary school, with limited classroom work, can be a hardship.  They exhibit a hyperactive personality.  It would not be surprising that some have undiagnosed ADHD disorders.
     Chefs also love their work, almost irrationally.  They work 12-14 hour days, on their feet for the majority of it.  
Most of the time, their bodies give out before they are ready to quit.  A lot of them suffer from arthritis at a young age.  Some have tattoos of heirloom vegetables, such as Sean Brock of Husk (in Charleston, SC).
     Sadly, chefs do not get to eat out much.  They have neither the time nor the funds.  Like a lot of professions, their compensation is not commensurate  with the amount of work they do.  

Chef Sean Brock

Antipasti that I assembled for service