The life of a chef requires thinking on your feet, paying attention to your surroundings, and not being afraid to get your hands dirty, according to Michael Simard, chef of Vincenzo's Ristorante since 2000. The Concord native has always had a love of cooking from as far back as elementary school when he said he took out cookbooks and started making meals for his parents. He began his career in cooking by starting as a dishwasher and working his way up to a line cook and finally chef when the position opened up, as he had been with Vincenzo's since November 1997. Simard said in a recent …

Executive Chef Peter Spear loves the freedom and creativity that he has with cooking. At the same time, the executive chef of the Walden Grille says he never stops learning and reading about the cooking industry and how he can revamp dishes with newer techniques of cooking. In fact, continuously reading and learning about cooking is so important to the Chicago native that he advises new chefs in the industry to "never stop learning and to always ask questions." Mild-mannered and polite, Spear has just started his new career at the Walden Grille, as he relocated to Concord from North Carolina …

Cooking requires a lot of concentration and a big passion, according to Chef Victor Gonzalez of the Papa Razzi restaurant on Elm Street.  This passion can be seen in Gonzalez's work, as he is meticulous about all the things that need to be done in order to have successful meals brought to customers' plates every night. A chef for eight years, Gonzalez starts his day at 9:30 a.m. and often does not finish work until 9:30 or 10 p.m. at night. Everything at the Italian restaurant is prepared from scratch and there are four new specials served a day. There are many tasks that must be done …

Editor's Note: This is the first in a series profiling local chefs and sharing their favorite summer recipes. Executive Chef Leo Kremer describes his kitchen at The Colonial Inn as a "symphony," with everyone working together to finish the task at hand. "Basically you are sitting back calling the shots and after awhile you get used to it," Kremer said of his role as chef in an interview with Patch at The Colonial Inn last week. Kremer's staff includes six people; there are also two sous chefs who run the shift when he is not there. In explaining how his kitchen runs, Kremer said every worker …