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I remember 20 years ago walking around Macy’s and Williams Sonoma, registering for our wedding with my fiancé. (I feel old!) I will be honest, I thought he was completely insane for putting a $450 knife set on our registry. Who in the world would spend that kind of money on a gift for us and why in the world do we need knives that cost that much? I remember thinking that same thing about a Kitchen Aid stand mixer and our pots and pans as well.
I wanted to register for little gadgets that made everything easier. For example, I thought we needed an onion chopper. That’s how I grew up learning to cut an onion. Doesn’t everyone use one of these to cut onions?
But of course, why would we need something that cuts an onion into inconsistent sized pieces, when we could do it better with a knife? (And when I say we, I really mean him. After 19 years I am very efficient at cutting an onion. It only took about 10 lessons from my chef/husband to learn. Seriously. Don’t laugh at me.)
I am so glad I listened and those things (as well as many others) ended up on our registry. I love those bigger items that we received as wedding gifts, and they still get a lot of use in our home today.
Fast forward 20 years. (I feel old again.) We are having similar discussions and thoughts about purchasing something for the kitchen, except this time we are married and he is an Executive Chef/Culinary Director.
He keeps mentioning that we really need to get a countertop pressure cooker for home. He says it will save so much time and keeps telling me how much easier it will make things. He even bought a small one for work for times that he needs small quantities of something really fast.
In my mind, I’m thinking, why do we need another thing in the kitchen, especially one that costs $150 – $200???? I know that it can sauté, pressure cook, slow cook, cook rice, steam, warm and even make yogurt, but I can already do all those things with all the things we already have. Really?
So guess what my suggestion was to his parents for a birthday gift earlier this month?
Tadaah!! A counter top pressure cooker!!
And just as I immediately loved our expensive knives, Kitchen Aid mixer and pots and pans soon after we got married, I immediately fell in love with his new Pressure Cooker, and now wonder how I’ve lived my whole life without one.
UGH!!
You think I would have learned to listen to his kitchen advice after 19 years AND the fact that my husband has the title “Executive Chef/Culinary Directory.” He probably knows a little about cooking at this point. Never doubt a chef in a kitchen!
I’m a slow learner. I’ll try to work on that honey. I promise.
As I sit here typing, getting up to make applesauce (cooking the apples in the pressure cooker of course), typing, getting up to make applesauce, etc. I just sent my husband a quick text. “I’m sorry that I ever doubted that we needed the pressure cooker. Making applesauce is a million times faster.” His response was, “I’m sure it is . . .”
I wonder if he’s laughing at me right now and thinking, “I told you so!” 🙂
Anyone else have thoughts like these about things your chef/husband wants to buy in the kitchen? What kinds of things are in your kitchen that you now can’t live without but weren’t too sure about in the beginning?
From one chefwife to another,
