If You Can Pass This Cooking Quiz You Are Probably A Chef!

The qualities of an exceptional cook are akin to those of a successful tightrope walker: an abiding passion for the task, courage to go out on a limb and an impeccable sense of balance. ''When you analyze cooking there are many techniques that must be mastered, and some are really boring,'' said Michele Urvater, coauthor of ''Cooking the Nouvelle Cuisine in America.'' ''For example, reducing a stock - constantly skimming and transferring it to small pots. That gives you a purity which maybe 99 percent of the people won't notice, but the best student does, and he cares.''