In a world dominated by master chefs, kitchen gods, and culinary idols, the story of the humble beginning of a cook is often overlooked or underappreciated. Tony Chavez narrates his own account of what it is to discover great food and adapt to the kitchen lifestyle that inevitably follows. Unquestioning obedience to the vision of a demanding, maniacal chef, and sweaty hours under the tutelage of the brigade of arrogant, exuberant, insane cooks, is what our young hero encounters in his introduction to the professional world of cooking.