Chef Ramsay

show so dynamic: Thanks to Ramsay's nervous energy, you never know when he is going to blow.

"We spend more time with the individuals in Hell's Kitchen than we do with our families," he says. "It's highly emotional and claustrophobic. To be honest, the closer you get to them, the bigger you can kick their (rear)."

And he promises to kick plenty of (rear) during the new season. It's not merely for the cameras. The winner, after all, gets a high-profile job as head chef at the tony Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, N.J.

"If you start disintegrating under the pressure, don't become a chef," he says. "Then just make cakes for your family and be a phenomenal person and don't cook in the premier league of restaurants.

"When I start to see people crack, that's nowhere near the pressure of running your own business, managing a large staff, paying a mortgage, etc. If you want to aspire to be a great chef, there's a price to pay for that."

Ramsay knows that firsthand. He operates more than 20 restaurants around the globe. His books are regular best-sellers. In addition to Hell's Kitchen and his other U.S. program, Kitchen Nightmares, he tapes additional series that air concurrently in his native United Kingdom. And thanks to his chiseled good looks, he has become something of a sex symbol to foodies around the globe.

"It's exciting," he says. "To be honest, I've got the most amazing team, and that helps tremendously. It's a juggling act, I'll admit, but the children and my wife come with me to Los Angeles, so we do manage."

And despite his Michelin Star reputation, Ramsay knows how to loosen his culinary guard.

"I have a craving for In-N-Out burgers," he confesses. "They're extraordinary. I swear to God, I'm so addicted. The first thing we do when we reach Santa Monica is go to In-N-Out. The kids and I want nothing else."

Not even McDonald's?

"McDonald's?" he asks incredulously. "For God's sake, now you are being a (expletive) donkey."

And my 2009 is officially off to a good start.