But let me warn you, I will be loose with my definition of chef. I may profile a hot dog vendor or the Johnston County cafeteria worker who makes excellent cinnamon rolls. Neither a culinary degree nor a five-star rating are a prerequisite. I will profile cooks who are characters, who are inspired by their craft, who might have a story to share.

Jason Smith of Raleigh's 18 Seaboard spent six months cooking in Antarctica. How many chefs can put that on their résumé?

Smith, 34, a Raleigh native, started out at 42nd Street Oyster Bar before moving on to Magnolia Grill in Durham, Union Square Cafe and Gramercy Tavern in New York and Peninsula Grill in Charleston. He opened 18 Seaboard in May 2006.

Why Antarctica?

One of Smith's mentors is Dr. Surry Roberts, a retired Raleigh physician and world traveler. In 1999, Roberts wanted to see the exhibit about Sir Ernest Shackleton's Antarctica voyage at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. But Roberts' vision problems make it difficult for him to travel alone. So Smith agreed to go with him. Roberts paid for the pair to travel to New York for one day -- Oct. 11, 1999, the last day of the exhibit. Smith paid for a lunch at Bouley, the renowned Manhattan restaurant.

"He kind of wet my whistle for Antarctica and for adventure travel," Smith says of Surry.

Two years later, Smith was living in Manhattan and working two intense jobs at fine dining restaurants when the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks happened.

"I was sick of fine dining, sick of Manhattan, and crazy people flew planes into buildings," Smith says. "At that point, I had to do something else."

Smith discovered the National Science Foundation was hiring cooks to work in Antarctica. By August 2002, Smith was in New Zealand and headed to the McMurdo Station.

What was it like to cook in Antarctica?

"Ninety-five percent of what you served was either dehydrated, canned or frozen," Smith says.

Food deliveries were few. Occasionally, fresh produce was flown in from New Zealand. Most of the food came on a container ship that arrived once a year. The cargo had to be unloaded in a temperature-acclimated warehouse because the Arctic temperatures could damage the food. It took 21/2 days to unload the ship, which was strategically packed so bagels were next to the cream cheese, hamburger patties were with the buns.

Smith was in charge of breakfast and lunch for as many as 1,200 people. He worked from 2:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. six days a week. Almost every day, Smith says, they made instant mashed potatoes, emptying 50-pound bags of instant potatoes into a 120-gallon kettle, the size of a small hot tub. Those potatoes were popular with the welders who burned 5,000 calories a day while working outside.

What was a below-freezing existence like?

On average, the temperature was about 10 or 15 degrees. But an 80-mph wind could blow up anytime, destroying visibility. On such days, the cooks still had to get to the kitchen. Firefighters would use rope systems to escort the cooks the 300 yards from the dormitory to the cafeteria. Diners were escorted the same way.

On his days off, Smith got to explore. He hiked the Castle Rock Loop trail, an 11-mile hike that goes from sea level to 2,500-feet elevation. The hike offers views of the water, Mount Erebus, an active volcano, and the Ross Island ice shelf. He also ventured to see a hut Shackleton and his crew built during one of their expeditions. He saw 1,000-pound Weddell seals and Adelaide penguins, but it was the Skua, a prehistoric-looking, fearless sea gull that impressed him most.

"If you walk outside with a bagel, you can actually get hurt from them," Smith said. "They will land, snatch the bagel and peck you. They are afraid of nothing."

What did you miss from home?

Smith says he really wanted to go to his 10-year high school reunion. "I'll go to the 20th," he says.

What did you learn from the cooking experience?

"I learned you don't have to have the fanciest ingredients to make good food. Up until that time, I had been working in really fancy, decadent restaurants. There may be an impact there with 18 Seaboard. I got a sweet potato soup on the menu now that we did there. People loved it there. People are loving it here."