You Are What You Cook

Being a full time cook has changed everything. I couldn’t vouch for other professions but cooking professionally transforms not just food but the cook as well.

I used to be a calm, timid, geeky little kid—the kind you would see on the streets and think, ‘Oh, what a sweet little boy.’ I was a perfectionist, but I was also easily impressed. I was highly tolerant of people and situations. There was no one person I really feared, who could actually control my behavior with his own. I didn't mind the occasional sour grape in the bunch. I was never used to working hours on end or exposed to any significant level of stress. All of that changed after I entered the kitchen.

The Ten Commandments in a Professional Kitchen

In restaurant kitchens, there are several undocumented and unspoken rules everyone must adhere to.

EACH COOK’s territory is taken very seriously. Beware while trespassing. Every inch is accounted for.

DO NOT use a fellow cook’s knives or other equipment without asking first. Don’t even touch them. In fact, even asking for it is often frowned upon; you should have your own.