Insider Info

Chefs have many stories to tell. There have been popular books and reality TV shows based on real tales from the kitchen. David Pantone is dean of culinary education at Lincoln Culinary Institute in West Palm Beach, Florida. He says that being a really good chef has great rewards -- you have fun stories to tell and you get a great sense of personal satisfaction.

"Like an artist, you have taken bits and pieces of different foods and prepared them with skill and respect," says Pantone. "You have plated them in an attractive manner and served them with grace and style. Your guest was overwhelmed by the beauty and flavor and aroma. They smiled and thanked you. You smile and walk back into the kitchen. Once the kitchen door is behind you, you feel like a rock star!"

"Maybe your guest is an actual rock star that you always wanted to meet," he continues. "And through being a chef, you met them. You performed your art for them. And now they are a fan of yours! How cool is that?"

For Pantone, this isn't just an idea. Through his job, he's had the opportunity to meet a lot of famous people, including his favorite rock star of all time.

"Once when The Who was in town on tour, I weaseled my way into working with the backstage caterer," he says. "I volunteered to deliver the dinner to [guitarist] Pete Townsend in his private dressing room."

When Pantone knocked on Townsend's dressing room door, a voice answered, "Come in," and Pantone was able to meet one of his heroes.

"He was in the middle of about 100 shoes," says Pantone with a chuckle. "He couldn't find the ones he really wanted to wear that night. He stopped what he was doing and came over to shake my hand and we talked for a couple of minutes. I thanked him for all of my favorite songs. He thanked me for the tasty dinner. He signed my hat, we shook hands and I left. That was really cool!"

Matt Rissling is an executive chef. He says he's seen lots of crazy things in restaurants, but mainly he loves being part of the special events that come along with being a chef.

"Being part of so many special events over the years, whether it be hosting movie stars or musicians, doing photo shoots or being involved in cookbooks, there is never a dull moment in the industry. I really like taking part in special events -- special food, special events, special locations."

Traditionally, professional kitchens have been male-dominated places. While there are successful female chefs, it is tougher for women to get ahead in the field.

"For a man it is tough -- for a woman it is really tough," says Pantone. "The ones who stick it out and don't put up with any foolishness from the men usually rise to the top."

Rissling says that the locker-room mentality of the industry can be tough for women to overcome. But he advises women to be persistent and keep at it, and once they get into better restaurants, some of that locker-room mentality starts to fade away.

"I think to have success -- and the ultimate success, to be a chef -- in this industry you really have to be twice as good and work twice as hard," he says. "Once you get to a point and have paid your dues you can get into better kitchens with a more mature staff and a lot of that fades away."

"This really is a youth-oriented industry," he adds, "as it's often physically too hard for older people to do."

Christabel Padmore can speak from experience. She is, after all, a she. And a chef.

"Given physical equality, ambition and a stable, not very demanding personal life, women can achieve equality or surpass their male counterparts with relative ease," she says. "In the absence of those things, it's a challenge to achieve equality."

Although she says it's a challenge, it's not impossible. And for those who stick it out like she has, it can be incredibly rewarding.

"Cooking is my therapy," she says. "I love working with food and making people happy with the food I make. It's the most relaxing job I've ever had, even after an 80-hour work week when everyone is grumbly."

Rissling advises youth to approach this career with caution and only proceed if you have passion, a genuine interest in food and cooking, and lots of patience. He says if you're looking to get rich, there are better bets out there.

"It takes many, many years to get to a point where you have the experience to land a good paying job -- with the hours that go along with it -- that will allow you to support a family, pay all of your bills on time and enjoy some luxuries in life," he says.

"It's a hard way to make a living, and the reality is most people don't ever make it to that point of a comfortable lifestyle. You have to commit or else you better find something else to do. Summer job while in school? Fine. Most people better expect to be poor for a number of years. You usually get at least one good meal a day when you're a cook, though," he says with a laugh.

Pantone recommends traveling as much as possible when you're young and exploring many different interests to see what you really like. Then turn your interests into a hobby and take it from there.

"Then volunteer to assist someone who does that as a job," he continues. "If you still like it, get an entry-level job doing it. If you still like it, or maybe even love it, go to school to study it and turn it into a career. This formula works just as well for those who like to work with animals, children, art, nature or food. It's all about having a passion for what you do."