It’s amazing how wrongly chefs are portrayed in movies. The job of the chef, whether they are the head of the kitchen or just one in a long line of specialists that have a vast knowledge of food prep and how to cook, is to be the boss of the kitchen, or at least their area of it. Some kitchens are big enough that they have different chefs for different sections, while others are small and have one head chef that oversees everything. The biggest problem in movies when it comes to chefs is the misconception that they are cruel, mean overlords that dominate their kitchens like a taskmaster rather than a boss. They are typically seen as pushy, bossy, and detail-oriented in a way that seems to border on being OCD. The reality is that a lot of chefs pay attention to detail because it is a part of their job, and their bossy nature comes from having to make certain that the kitchen runs smoothly and efficiently.
A lot of chefs are fairly nice people, you just have to catch them on break, if they get one.
5. Chefs don’t have one specialty dish.
Chefs do go to school for their craft more often than not and they do study up on a broad range of dishes that they can utilize in their restaurants. That being said a chef won’t usually have just one dish that they specialize in and make all the time. They will have a wide array of dishes that they like to make and can do very well. Being diverse as a chef is a much better way to remain valuable.
4. They don’t have hundreds of recipes memorized and on hand.
A great many recipes call for the same ingredients to be used in different ways and some chefs might know a handful or more that they can pull from their minds at any given moment. But usually it is more likely that they know how certain ingredients will go together based on their experience with them. The truth is that they have to look up recipes as well from time to time.
3. Chef’s have to visit different places to know where the best places are to eat.
Just because they have an intimate knowledge of food doesn’t mean that they know the best places to eat. Just like anyone else they are dependent on actually going out and trying the local cuisine to discover what their preferences are and who does what the best. Asking a chef a question like this is quite ridiculous unless they’ve been around town enough to have a good idea of what’s being offered and where.
2. Reality show cooking is very different from real cooking.
Chopped is not a real world setting, neither are any of the other shows you happen to see on the Food network. In fact you might get more realism from a TV show or movie depicting a kitchen than you would from anything on the Food channel since the hustle and bustle of the kitchen is more than just moving past a few people to keep running for ingredients and watching the clock.
1. Most chefs lead a clean lifestyle.
As far as booze, drugs, and tattoos go some chefs partake and some don’t. The majority however would agree that since the life of a chef is pretty demanding it’s important to maintain a rather moderate to clean lifestyle in order to function. A chef coming to work with a hangover is going to have a very bad day.
Chefs are typically hard-working individuals and don’t always have time to be anything but the very best if they want to succeed.
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