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The Glamorous . . . and not-so-Glamorous Life of a Chef and his Family

by Jennifer | Being Married to a Chef, Blog, Children, Holidays, Most Popular | 0 comments

The other day I was thinking about how truly amazing and glamorous it is to be married to a chef… all those fabulous meals he prepares for us at home each night, the romantic date nights visiting local restaurants with friends, our children being exposed to so many different types of food that they happily eat anything we place before them, the wonderful recipes and cookbooks I have access to, never having to pay for a meal when we go out to eat, owning the top of the line cookware and kitchen appliances… the list could go on and on…

But I’ll stop there.

I’ll stop there because it’s not true. There might be some truth behind a few of those statements, but for the most part, for the majority of chefs and their families, they are pure fantasy.

I guess there is a part of me that understands this glamorous life of a chef that has somehow been portrayed to our society as truth. The fact that someone can create something so wonderful out of food, and do so for a large amount of people in a short period of time, is truly amazing. I get that. For some reason there just seems to be something glamorous, intriguing and mysterious about a man (or woman) in a chef coat. (more…)

Frequently Asked Questions About Being Married to a Chef

by Jennifer | Being Married to a Chef, Chef Life, Most Popular | 33 comments

If you’re new to my site, start here.

What’s it like to be married to a chef? Here are some answers to the questions you have asked or have always wanted to ask, but never had the courage to!

Does a chef cook at home?

When he is home, yes he does. The key part of that phrase is “when he is home.” His cooking is better than mine, plus I think it’s easier for him to work in the kitchen than to figure out how to floss a 4 year old’s teeth. 🙂 I do cook occasionally, but he usually ends up stepping in and taking over (which I prefer.) I don’t expect him to cook, he just does it. (See this post about his recent time at home and cooking and also this one on cooking for family and friends.)

What kind of hours does a chef work?

Too many! It varies from day to day and season to season. I would say a good average is 12-15 hours a day, with a commute. So a 60-70+ hour work week. Yep . . . too many. Things tend to change at the last minute as well, which can be difficult.