The Cook... Signs and Clues by Jason King

The cook is a by nature is no different from his fellow man. Genetically speaking, a doctor can't identify a kitchen worker under a microscope. A full body exam could reveal clues to a subject's chosen trade however.

Non-dominant hand's will bare the testimony of too closely regulating the thickness of an onion slice. The forearms will speak volumes about times a hurried cook reached into an oven with almost surgical precision. Kissing the top of his arm to the oven threshold, realizing then his dry oven towel was no longer dry. No worries, we have kitchen hands.

A cook's hands, like that of a long forgotten X-Man, can take heat close to the point of physically burning. To a person whose hands are still protected by sensitive nerve endings, a 120 degree anything is too hot to touch. Not a veteran line cook. His hands are like a Phoenix, rising from the flames, reborn - just scarred.

Poorly planned neck tattoos and the almost required chef ink of a knife, while common, aren't mandatory.

You may not know someone cooks or otherwise works in the service industry, when you're first introduced, but look for certain tells.

Asking how the most recent holiday was involves the reply  "I worked", preceding a description of how busy it was.

They do things at times abnormally fast, like wiping down a counter.

They carry 3 glasses in one hand. Say "behind you" and "heard".

Two minutes is a certified amount of time. It means at least two minutes, followed by another two minutes before you ask again.

They mysteriously show up two bars into a birthday night with friends, no time before 11pm. You may smell a myriad of kitchen aromas, aka... Cook smell.

A bit of situational genius, contextual Spanish language comprehension, and a weird appreciation for Sharpie brand markers.

If these signs are present, one other clue can seal the identification process. They give hints through sharing first hand experience with things people at work in the morning, don't.

If several signs and an affinity for The Price is Right are there, you have a kitchen professional. Or maybe some one who is unemployed or a drug dealer, may exhibit these characteristics. That's because some cooks have been either or both at one point.