"...And there's a lot of made up stuff that I didn't have time to research - that's why I'm calling it fiction."

Otherwise known as the, "Oh man, I've got to get back to my job!" disclaimer/cop-out.

If you're interested in how a real kitchen operates or how superbly obsessed people appreciate the culinary arts, you can check these out:

Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
Culinary Artistry and or Becoming a Chef by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg
Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl

Anything or everything by MFK Fisher. Here's a sample if you don't want to look her up yourself...

The Art of Eating Online - An MFK Fisher page.