It is no secret that many chefs struggle with addiction. , published in the Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, found that as many as 63 percent of bar and restaurant employees had dangerous drinking habits. But a new generation of chefs is instead opting to get high off of endorphins. The result is, well, a legion of skinny chefs that still cook delicious food you鈥檇 never expect to see on a fitness menu.
鈥淭wenty years ago the chef image鈥攜ou know, the white jacketed big-bellied, triple-chin, red-eyed guy鈥攃ertainly wouldn鈥檛 be the draw for the skinny-ass cyclists that I see all over Napa Valley,鈥 says celebrity chef聽. 鈥淭his decade is about eating right, eating local, and of course blowing up that thought that a chef has to be as big as an NFL linebacker.鈥
Chiarello is the organizer of the hugely popular聽, which brings in a bigger and bigger contingent of cycling chefs each year. In fact, Chiarello is even adding a 鈥渇astest chef鈥 category to next year鈥檚 race. He says that a decade ago, something like the Bottega Gran Fondo probably wouldn鈥檛 have been possible, since getting renowned chefs to show up for an all-weekend bike event would have been quite a task. Now it's becoming a regular occurence.
Last week, for example,聽50 chefs rode 300 miles as a fundraiser for the hunger alleviation group聽. The peloton looked just like any other pack: cut legs, slim figures in spandex, and an overabundance of helmet hair.聽And as the chefs rode they talked about things like the importance of gut health, foods that reduce inflammation, and ways to cook kale鈥攁ll things you鈥檙e likely to hear on your next ride.
In the end, a cycling addiction is going to be far less destructive than other common chef vices. Alcohol, tobacco, and cocaine abuse are all documented afflictions among career聽chefs in the U.S. and are damaging to a person鈥檚 sense of smell and taste (not to mention they wreak havoc on a person鈥檚 family and overall wellbeing). So if chefs are swapping their post-service shot of whiskey for a shot of gel and a 50-mile spin, it鈥檚 probably a good thing. And if they鈥檙e saddling up and riding for charities like No Kid Hungry and the (the benefactor of this year鈥檚 Bottega Gran Fondo), that鈥檚 even better.