Everyone’s a Chef Now (According to Instagram)

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Everyone loves calling themselves a chef these days. Got an apron? Chef. Posted a pasta video on Instagram? Chef. Bought a really expensive knife? Obviously… chef.

But in this episode of The 'Sader Digest, Brad pulls back the kitchen curtain to answer a surprisingly complicated question: what’s the actual difference between a cook and a chef?

Spoiler alert: it’s not just about who makes the best steak.

Brad digs into the history of the word chef, from its French roots as chef de cuisine—literally “chief of the kitchen”—to the military-style brigade system that turned restaurant kitchens into something resembling an army. Along the way, we explore how celebrity chefs, TV shows, and social media have blurred the lines between the people running the kitchen… and the people actually cooking the food.

Because here’s the uncomfortable truth:
The person whose name is on the restaurant door usually isn’t the one sweating over your dinner.

From Gordon Ramsay to Anthony Bourdain to the unsung heroes on the line, this episode looks at leadership, ego, kitchen hierarchy, and the hardworking cooks who actually make the magic happen every night.

So next time someone says, “I’m a chef,” you might want to ask a follow-up question:

Do they run the kitchen… or do they just own a really nice knife?