Suicide in the Culinary Industry…Thoughts from a Chef’s Wife

Waking up this morning to find out that Anthony Bourdain had committed suicide was a shock for all of us.  I can’t imagine the pain he must have been in to feel that suicide was the only option.

As an outsider, his life looked pretty great to most of us.  He was a successful chef, writer and TV show host.  He had a girlfriend and appeared happy in the relationship.  He was the father of a young daughter.  Media and Social Media made him appear so successful and happy.

Unfortunately, that was not the case.

It makes me question why suicide, mental health issues, drugs and alcohol are all such problems in the Culinary Industry. (more…)

Do you Ever Feel Like You Are Living Separate Lives?

Why yes I do.  Thanks for asking.

Sometimes I feel like I have my life here at home with the girls and my husband has his life at work and then here at home.  The things we each do in a day are so different from each other.  Our two lives come together for a few minutes a day and then we go our separate ways.

The majority of the year he does get 2 days off a week.  During those weeks, he doesn’t seem like a stranger.  There is time to talk (even if it’s chaotic with kids running around), meals together as a family, etc.  However, there are times, like day 11 of a 14 day stretch with no days off.  This doesn’t happen often, but occasionally it does.  I really miss him during those times.

11 long days of work in a row.  Has anyone seen my husband?  (Just kidding.)  Oh look, the restaurant just posted a picture of him on Twitter.  (Seriously, this has happened before and I laughed and said to myself, “Oh look, that’s what my husband is up to right now.” (more…)

Day 3 – Don’t Sit at Home (12 Days of Encouragement for the Chef’s Family)

Today I’d like to encourage you to not sit at home, wishing the Christmas season was just over so you could see your chef/husband or chef/boyfriend again. Last year, half way through the month, my chef/husband and I actually had a conversation about that.  We just wanted December to be over.  🙁

I don’t know about where you live, but here in Seattle, there are so many fun things to do at Christmas time.

I used to try and save all those things for when my chef/husband was off.  But when I did that, we ended up missing out on a lot of things. (more…)

Day 1: Twelve Days of Encouragement for the Chef’s Family

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The holidays are a tough time for our Emulsified Family.

12 days of encouragement for the chefs familyBy the end of December, my chef/husband and I are usually just ready for Christmas and New Year’s Eve to be over.  I know that sounds horrible but December is a really hard month when you are married to a chef.

It’s 4-5 INSANE weeks of working way too many hours for my chef/husband.  We really don’t see him much at all during this time.  Because of this I struggle with loneliness, even with 3 kids.  I also feel bad that we are out doing fun Christmas things and my husband is slaving away at work to provide for us.  I could say more, but it would really just sound like complaining, so I’ll stop.

I thought maybe this year would be different, with him being the COO of a restaurant group and out of the kitchen, but the hours have still been crazy…including a restaurant opening.  I am thankful for his days off this month and don’t want to take them for granted, as I remember many years, he rarely had a day off in the month of December.

Since so many of you can relate to our family, I would guess that we are not alone in feeling this way each holiday season.

While in the past, I’ve dreaded the month of December as a chef’s wife, I’ve decided this Christmas season is going to be different.  No more moping around and wishing it was over for this chef’s wife and kids. (more…)