Playing With Fire: How Taking Risks Is Essential To Being A Chef

By Michael Laiskonis, ICE Creative Director

Seldom does a week go by without my receiving a dozen or more of emails, phone calls or text messages, all looking for answers.

"Do you have a recipe for...?"

"Have you ever tried...?"

"What would happen if...?"

Far from being a burden, I happily participate in these personal exchanges because I believe there should be no secrets in cooking. The thing I value most about being a chef is the community that comes with it; there's an atmosphere of friendly competition that encourages sharing.

As chefs, we can easily get in over our heads. It's a scary feeling, but the process of finding a solution is also quite rewarding. I'm certainly not above asking others for advice on problems that I'm working out. Having been asked for help myself, I've realized that assisting others is sometimes the best way to learn new things—especially in an age when so many of our questions involve harnessing (or occasionally attempting to defy) the laws of physics and chemistry.