The long hours of a chef are tough. But while the long hours are hard on our family, the unknown schedule is harder!
There were many years where my chef/husband had set days off. From what I remember, those were days when he was working as a line cook or Sous Chef. Once he hit the Executive Chef level, his days off would change based on events, meetings, etc. (more…)
My chef/husband has been off for 4 days!!
Sorry. I don’t mean to brag, but it doesn’t happen often. So when it does, I feel like telling everyone!!
While two of the days we spent as a family, 2 of the days were also school days!
You know what that means? We can go on a date without having to pay for a babysitter! Woohoo!!
As soon as I knew he was taking a few extra days off, I sent him a text telling him to save Monday morning for me. 🙂
Now I bet you’re wondering just exactly what we did for this hot date.
I hope you’re sitting down. It’s pretty great! (more…)
Don’t you just love that you can ask your chef what ingredients are in a dish and they can tell you just by tasting it?
I love that when I mess up something that I’m cooking, he can taste it and fix it (most of the time. Sometimes there is just no hope and you have to start over.)
What’s even better is when you can describe how something tastes over the phone that is just not quite right, and they can tell you how to fix it without even tasting it. That’s just crazy!
My chef/husband’s knowledge about food and his ability to taste individual ingredients in food just amaze me. You would think that after 20 years I would be used to it, but sometimes he still surprises me.
His hyper-sensitive taste buds are definitely one of the perks of being married to or dating a chef! (more…)
If someone asked me what the hardest part about being married to a chef was, I would say worrying about their health and safety.
The amount of hours they work in a very harsh environment are so hard on their bodies. I really struggle with worrying about my chef/husband’s health. I know he’s an adult and can take care of himself, I just hate to see him in pain. He will push through it and do whatever he need to do to get the job done well and provide for us. I am grateful for that. It’s just really hard to know he’s working in pain.
I loved this article which talks about an older chef and his need to move to a less physical role as a chef. It’s true. Not many people can work on the line for 40 years. Sure, some do. But I would bet they are in pain for much of the time. I’m thankful my husband has recently moved into a role that is less physical labor and seems to be easier on his body. (Although using a mouse and keyboard still cause pain in his elbow from repetitive cutting and other movements in the kitchen for many years.) I used to worry about how he’d be able to physically continue on in his career as he got older. (more…)
There are a lot of things I enjoy about being married to a chef . . . great food (when he’s home to cook), help with meal planning, having someone who can fix my mistakes in the kitchen (over the phone or via text), free samples that appear in our home from vendors, menu tastings at his restaurant, his creativity . . . the list could go on and on. A lot of the sterotypes we hear about being married to a chef ARE true, sometimes. Not as often as people think, but yes, occasionally they are true.
But just like everything, with the good comes the bad. Being married to a chef isn’t about enjoying 5 course meals every night. (And if you think it is, please stop reading this post and read this first.) In the 19 1/2 years we have been married, there have been a lot of things I have really struggled with as a result of my husband’s career.
Now don’t get me wrong, I love that he is a chef and know it’s the perfect job for him. But that doesn’t make it easy for either of us. We’ve had many discussions over the years of how hard it is to be a successful chef, husband and father all at the same time. He runs himself ragged doing just that and I am blessed to be married to him. (more…)
Chef Wife, Mother of 3 and the Blogger behind EmulsifiedFamily.com.
