I just looked in my refrigerator for something to eat and realized there’s nothing in there but take out containers.  Me, a chef and there’s nothing in there that I made. I have oils, salts, spices, flours.  I have specialty pans, tools, mixers and knives.  I’ve got a panini maker, a pizelle maker, crock pots, rice cookers, double boilers, deep fryers and convection ovens.  Yet, if I don’t heat up something from one of those containers, I’ll probably have cheese and crackers for lunch

 It’s not even a good cheese.  Nothing I’d want to tell you about.

 What’s happening to ME?

 Nothing that hasn’t happened before.  I’m tired of food.

 What???

 It happens.  I know several chefs.  We’re not celebrity chefs but we do OK.  One, who created this brilliant menu for a local restaurant eats only fast food on his days off.  One, when asked her advice on cooking professionally, said, “If you love food, if you love eating good food – don’t cook professionally.

At the time, I thought she was just too cynical.  That’s because I wasn’t in a burnout phase at the time.  I was, however, quite notorious for forgetting that my assistants might want to eat during their shift.  Eat?  Who can eat when you’re preparing food for others?  Later, I’d sneak into the kitchen and feast on leftovers.  Wow!  This is really good, I’d think.  The pressure off, the job done, I could enjoy what I’d created.

Do celebrity chefs have burnout?  Do they fake it when they do?  Or do they have so much help it’s not an issue?  I’ve been thinking about hiring someone to practice my recipes.  I’ll sit here as I am now, zip off a recipe and say, “Here.  Try this.  Let’s see how this turns out.”  They will bring me a sample and I’ll alter it in some magical way and send him/her back to try it again.  Until it’s PERFECT.  No great fatique, no aching feet for me at least.  I’m promoting myself to executive chef of my own enterprise. 

 That’s my new plan.  Right now though, I’m going to have some cheese and crackers with a nice white wine.