Inside The Pressure Cooker

The life of a cook is intense. On any given day someone can, and will, explode from the constant pressure. Restaurant chefs historically have some of the highest rates of substance abuse among any professional career. So why do people want to be a chef? The pay sucks, you work in a hostile environment, and the pressure to deliver is beyond measurable. Because it is in our blood. We are drawn to it and for some sick reason, we feed on it. Sometimes though, when it finally consumes us. We lose.

These are the stories of the people that keep kitchens running. Their struggles and their victories.