The Difference Between You and Me

Because I am a chef, people expect an awful lot of wisdom and expertise from me on just about everything related to food.They think that I know about all the good restaurants, including the latest "eatery" (my newest least-favorite word). They think that I know how to cook everything under the sun. They think that I am an endless source for information about cheese, wine, meat, organics, nutrition, on and on, ad nausea...

Now, I cannot speak on behalf of all chefs out there because we are each different, so this is about me.
I've always felt like a bit of a phony when I am faced with questions that frankly, I just do not know the answers to. Dealing with the constant expectations, I finally came up with the term that describes what it is that I do:
I am a Technician.

I do not enjoy reading about food or wine. My attention span has gotten very short. I glance. I make notes in my head. I save recipes online. Cookbooks are too expensive and I don't like a lot of clutter in my apartment.

I like to read restaurant reviews. However, I never remember the names of places and don't have a lot of coin to spend on them either. I make some mental notes on places that I would like to try. Time and time again though, when asked for a recommendation, I give the deer in the headlights look. I don't know!
I don't get to the Farmer's Market as much as I'd like to. I live alone so I really don't cook too much food on a daily basis. The stuff I do cook is very simple.
Honestly, I know about as much as the average person about organics and processed food. I've seen the same documentaries and read the same scary articles.
I would not know the first thing how to butcher a cow.
Truth be told, there is a lot of stuff I just do not know. So quit asking me!

What do I know? There are many, many great cooks out there but this is what separates the pros.

I have a good and developed palate. I can taste food and identify if a dish is correctly seasoned, what it might be missing or have too much of. I am excellent at balancing flavors.
I know when I fuck up, and can usually fix it.
I have a great eye. I am a very visual person. I make beautiful food and I enjoy doing it. I have my own style. It's clean. It's rustic. It's feminine.
I have good hands. I can tell if dough is ready to be rolled, is overworked, or if a cake is done by touching it. I handle food well and assertively.
I can plan in advance and organize properly. I know what to prep, how to prep it and hold it. I know how to work efficiently, how to set up systems.
I know how to do production. I can make 30 dozen cookies without breaking a sweat. You probably cannot.
I know how to produce a lot of food or a little bit of food, on time, that looks great, served at the appropriate temperature, hot or cold, depending on what it is.
I shop fast. Really fast.
I know how to do and keep inventory. I live to organize refrigerators and dry storage areas.
I work clean.
I know how to buy, use, store, cook and serve food using proper food safety methods.
When something screws up and I have to change ingredients suddenly, say something is ruined, dropped, burned or an ingredient is unavailable (and yes, even the pros make these mistakes too upon occasion)  I am excellent at coming up with a substitute. Same goes for tools. Improvisation is my middle name.
I can do all of this with my mouth shut, remaining calm and focused.

New-style Sashimi
with asparagus and
shaved cucumber salad

I will now make no more excuses. When people ask me some chef-foodie related thing that in the past I felt pressured to know the answer to, I'm not going to sweat it anymore. I know what I'm doing, but I don't know it all. Look it up on some foodie site, or call one of your foodie friends because they probably will know the answer.
If you need the job done, and done well, call the technician and I'll take good care of you.