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The Chef's Wife
Being the wife of a chef is an adventure. It is full of meals created on a whim, a unique adventure that only sometimes sticks to a plan. It is full of children
elbow deep in flour, of taste buds exploding as much as tempers may
flare. Love is expressed through freshly kneaded dough, through the
scent of a winter stew bubbling on the wood stove, through a simple
plate of fresh summer fruits and cheeses shared over a glass of crisp
Chardonnay.
I am asked regularly what it is like to be the wife of a chef: What do you eat? Who does the cooking? Often, I find myself apologizing for the busy day I had with the children, we only made a simple roasted chicken and mashed yukon potatoes, dear- nothing fancy, and the green beans we picked in the garden this afternoon. In the summer I'm known to throw together BLTs and crisp oven fries, grilled bread and sliced juicy tomatoes, hardly a 'gourmet' meal but delicious. Chef comes home late, weary from hours in a hot kitchen, proclaiming it a miracle: he doesn't have to cook. Simple tastes and flavors we both take for granted as implied: fresh picked summer vegetables, the basic roasted bird some try for years to master- My taste buds are begging for the crisp skin as we speak!
Over the years, as we've added to our family and I myself have spent further and further distances away from the gauntlet of professional kitchens, I'll admit I've gotten away from much of the passion I once had for food- and I am seeking to find it once again. Yes, the velvety smooth texture of a dark chocolate ganache still makes my knees weak, although my practical side inevitably takes over and tightens the budget belt further, and alas, that flourless chocolate torte I was craving is put aside for the more practical affairs of life.
Ironically, as time wears on, the kids are less and less exposed to the chances of testing their taste buds, my greatest fear may be them becoming unwilling to experience the myriad of foods waiting for them. This will be the perfect time to remind and teach them their food can be exciting. Part of the adventure of being wife to a Chef means coming home from errands with kids in tow, expecting a basic no, frills meal and being surprised by rare steak nicoise...(We had that in our fridge!?)...it also means having an entire week's worth of groceries just put away and Chef will find inspiration and leave- to go to the store again. A relaxing afternoon after hectic kids' activities all day long is made better when a plate of freshly sliced apples, sharp cheddar, grapes, and soppressata is slid in my direction, followed by that much appreciated glass of wine.
Now it is time to dig my fingers back into the lofty doughiness of a ready to bake ciabatta, to jumpstart our senses and discover the excitement of flavors all over again with Chef and our family! My hope is to chronicle our tastes and adventures and the discoveries I make in every day experiences as The Chef's Wife.
I am asked regularly what it is like to be the wife of a chef: What do you eat? Who does the cooking? Often, I find myself apologizing for the busy day I had with the children, we only made a simple roasted chicken and mashed yukon potatoes, dear- nothing fancy, and the green beans we picked in the garden this afternoon. In the summer I'm known to throw together BLTs and crisp oven fries, grilled bread and sliced juicy tomatoes, hardly a 'gourmet' meal but delicious. Chef comes home late, weary from hours in a hot kitchen, proclaiming it a miracle: he doesn't have to cook. Simple tastes and flavors we both take for granted as implied: fresh picked summer vegetables, the basic roasted bird some try for years to master- My taste buds are begging for the crisp skin as we speak!
Over the years, as we've added to our family and I myself have spent further and further distances away from the gauntlet of professional kitchens, I'll admit I've gotten away from much of the passion I once had for food- and I am seeking to find it once again. Yes, the velvety smooth texture of a dark chocolate ganache still makes my knees weak, although my practical side inevitably takes over and tightens the budget belt further, and alas, that flourless chocolate torte I was craving is put aside for the more practical affairs of life.
Ironically, as time wears on, the kids are less and less exposed to the chances of testing their taste buds, my greatest fear may be them becoming unwilling to experience the myriad of foods waiting for them. This will be the perfect time to remind and teach them their food can be exciting. Part of the adventure of being wife to a Chef means coming home from errands with kids in tow, expecting a basic no, frills meal and being surprised by rare steak nicoise...(We had that in our fridge!?)...it also means having an entire week's worth of groceries just put away and Chef will find inspiration and leave- to go to the store again. A relaxing afternoon after hectic kids' activities all day long is made better when a plate of freshly sliced apples, sharp cheddar, grapes, and soppressata is slid in my direction, followed by that much appreciated glass of wine.
Now it is time to dig my fingers back into the lofty doughiness of a ready to bake ciabatta, to jumpstart our senses and discover the excitement of flavors all over again with Chef and our family! My hope is to chronicle our tastes and adventures and the discoveries I make in every day experiences as The Chef's Wife.
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