Sous-Chef
Rogan Lechthaler
29, Roxbury, VT

Job Description: As second in command at Warren, Vermont's Pitcher Inn, a historic 11-room country lodge at the foot of Sugarbush Resort, Lechthaler is responsible for food prep, inventory, menu planning, cooking, and creating new dishes.
Why This Work Rules: Lechthaler's quandary was finding a high-end position that let him satisfy two disparate passions: gourmet cooking and ripping pow. ("I basically grew up with skis on," says the Vermont native.) At the Inn, he found his answer. His shifts start at 1 p.m., after leisurely mornings spent skiing or jogging. At any given time, the elegant menu features several of Lechthaler's own culinary concoctions, like duck-and-prosciutto ravioli or striped bass with thinly sliced fennel. He's generally home by midnight.
Turning Point: Lechthaler paid his dues as a breakfast chef in Boston (wake-up time: 4:30 a.m.) before moving to the evening shift, which he loves. But it wasn't until he landed a sous job at Boston's Mistral—a hot spot for foodies—that he realized swankiness does not mean happiness when home is a four-hour drive from his favorite slopes.
The Balanced Life: The hours are long—50 to 60 for most five-day workweeks—but Lechthaler takes full advantage of his free mornings. As a volunteer ambassador at Sugarbush, a post that involves meet-and-greets at the resort, he spends many winter hours schussing and schmoozing. He also indulges in philanthropic pig roasts. In 2003 his swine-on-a-spit approach to fundraising netted $3,000 for the Food Project, a Boston-area nonprofit; this year, he plans to organize road-race/pig-roast charity events.
Reality Check: In a profession that's notorious for breeding workaholics, burnout is always a threat. "You hear about chefs putting in 80-hour workweeks," he says. "But I'll be the first to say, ‘You know what? Today is a powder day.' You have to do that stuff to keep your vitality in the kitchen."
The Bottom Line: Sous-chefs make $30,000 to $45,000 a year. Interested? Land a kitchen job and work your way up, says Lechthaler, who bypassed cooking school (though many of his colleagues took that path). Look for openings at www.ihirechefs.com; for a primer, read the book Becoming a Chef (John Wiley & Sons, $30), by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page.