In New York City, there are thousands of restaurants and thousands of chefs slaving away in all those kitchens on any given day of the week. But there are lots of other chefs in this city mincing, dicing, sautéing and braising that you’ll never see—they’re cooking in private homes. Personal chefs prepare meals for families, couples and singles on a regular basis, juggling several clients at a time and tailoring their menus to suit their customers’ needs. On a typical day, they can show up at an empty apartment with ingredients, do all the cooking, pack up the meals, clean up and leave, without ever seeing the people who will eventually eat their food. Who are these mysterious chefs and how does it all work? We interviewed a few to get the inside scoop.