As one of the most ancient human pastimes, there have always been more great cooks than there are people who have careers in cooking. Start up costs and the need for cooking space can prevent many people who have a dream of making a living by their culinary skills from ever having the chance.

The city of New York is doing its best to give these people a fighting chance, however. According to the New York Times, the Economic Development Corporation is looking for an operator to run a 4,000-square-foot space in East Harlem as a kitchen where would-be culinary entrepreneurs could start their businesses.

Patricia Helding, owner of Fat Witch Bakery, got her start going door to door to churches to borrow their ovens to bake her goods, but supports the city initiative.

"The more the better," she told the Times. "The city should be throwing lifelines, not roadblocks, at its small businesses."

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the food service industry as a whole employs almost 9.4 million people nationwide and that number is expected to rise by around 11% by 2016.