17 Things I've Learned From Being Married to a Chef

Everyone eats.

Not everyone cooks.

Some people enjoy cooking and do it well.

Others cook only because they need to eat. If there's a fast and easy way to do it, they will find it.

I love to eat (unfortunately.) But when it comes to cooking . . . let's just say it's not my all-time favorite thing to do.

Fortunately, I'm married to a chef.

Now before all the stereotypes of how amazing it must be to be married to a chef start popping in your head, remember that chefs cook meals for people. That means when we eat dinner and home, he's not here. He's at the restaurant. So if our family is going to eat, I'm usually the one cooking, whether it is my favorite thing to do or not.

Growing up, my Mom cooked so we could eat. She was an average cook and I have no complaints. Our life did not revolve around food. We just ate meals because we were hungry and needed to eat.

My chef/husband grew up in a family that LOVED food. His mom is an amazing cook and food was always presented beautifully. Food and the presentation of it were very important to them. (It's no surprise that he ended up as a chef.)

Over the past 24 years of either dating or being married to my chef/husband, I have learned to not hate cooking. While it's still not my favorite thing to do, I guess you could say it's growing on me.

The times I'm able to cook alongside my chef/husband in the kitchen are few and far between as he's usually in the restaurant cooking for others. But when they do happen, I ask questions about what he's doing, why he's doing it and how I could use the food or technique another time when I'm cooking. I'm sure it probably feels a little like work for him, but he doesn't seem to mind.

Below is a list of 17 things I've learned over the years from my chef/husband. Some of them might seem very obvious to you, but honestly, when we got married, I did not know any of them. (Maybe I shouldn't be admitting that . . . please don't laugh. )

1. If you are going to cut yourself, it is better to do so with a sharp knife than a dull one.
2. Use a new piece of Saran wrap each time you put cheese away.
3. Scoop flour with a spoon into a measuring cup instead of using the measuring cup to scoop it.
4. When you defrost something in the refrigerator, always do so on the bottom shelf, so if it leaks or spills, it doesn't ruin all the food below it.
5. Never cook chicken in the crock pot on low.
6. If the chef suggests purchasing something for the kitchen, buy it immediately. Don't wait 6 months. You'll end up loving it and wonder how you ever lived without it.
7. Never buy a knife set that contains all serrated knives.
8. Taste everything before you serve it.
9. You can leave the salt and pepper off the table. Things should be seasoned properly before they get to the table.
10. Place a wet towel or wash cloth under the cutting board so it doesn't move around.
11. You can never have too many knives.
12. Always label EVERYTHING.
13. Leave the root on the onion when you are cutting it.
14. Say, "Behind," "Corner," or "On your right," when navigating through the kitchen.
15. Not all recipes on the Internet or in cookbooks will turn out. Make sure to run a new recipe past the chef first to make sure there are no obvious mistakes.
16. Always have a good supply of Band-Aids (waterproof and regular) in the house. You never know when you will need them.
17. If the chef makes a suggestion when you are cooking, it's best to follow it. He knows what he's talking about.

I wonder if I'm the only chef wife or girlfriend who needed cooking lessons to be able to survive in the kitchen. Hopefully not . . .

You can read more about combining restaurant and family life over on Jennifer's blog, EmulsifiedFamily.com. You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.