At an age when most kids are just starting to figure out which comes first – the appetizer or the entrée – Mark Liberman was already planning a professional career as a chef.

“I have always loved this job because every day is a different day,” says Liberman. “On the other side, though, it’s one of the most stressful things ever. You either love it or you don’t, but I personally think it’s a rush.”

Liberman was only a 13-year-old when he started watching cooking shows, and as soon as he was old enough, he got a job at Lake Natoma Inn making toast and helping with kitchen prep. From that point he spent as much time as possible in the kitchen, and against the wishes of several people in his life (including his Folsom High School advisor and parents), Liberman opted to forgo a traditional college education and attended the Culinary Institute of America in New York, instead.

“At first, not everybody was very supportive,” says Liberman. “A lot of people might not be aware, but until I was 18 years old I participated in competitive gymnastics. My coach was getting ready for me to go to college to compete and I quit to go into cooking...”

Since then, Liberman has moved all over the world practicing and perfecting his art. In fact, he recently made it to the American semi-finals for the 2011 Bocuse d’Or, considered the world’s most rigorous culinary competition. Now, he’s back in Folsom working on his latest endeavor – Black Sheep Butchery in Sacramento. Check out his blog at seasaltandbourbon.com for more information.

For more about Mark Liberman, and other local happenings and information, be sure to pick up this month's copy of Style – Folsom, El Dorado Hills edition. Click on the Get Your Copy link on this Web site for some of our newsstand locations; click on the Subscribe link on this Web site to become a regular subscriber, or to order a copy of this issue or one of our back issues, please email  [email protected], or call 916-988-9888.