Marriage to a chef

I first met my husband on MySpace.  Yes, yes, I know.  Hush. 

At that time, I was usually getting 10-20 messages a week from random menfolk – some illiterate, some skanky, other proclaiming undying love.  Very very rarely did I write back to any, and even more rarely were they worth my time when I did.

But when I got that first message from Jack, my now husband, there were two things that piqued my interest and caused me to respond.  First, he went to the same high school as my brother and judging from his age, probably graduated around the same time.  Second….he said he was a chef.

Um?  Score!

We wrote back and forth for about a month before finally meeting in person for our first date.  (Dinner at Henniger’s on Bank Street in Baltimore – a restaurant I highly recommend!).  For our second date, he made me dinner.  And as time went on, and we got more and more serious, I thought I was the luckiest girl around.

But……life with a chef isn’t all caviar and foie gras (not that foie gras is all it’s cracked up to be).  I remember the first time I was in his apartment by myself, the first thing I did was open all his kitchen cabinets, his cupboards, refrigerator….and discover he had NO food…..and very little in the way of cookware and equpment.  The man lived off of Beef-a-Roni, eaten straight from the can.  Blech.

This should have been a warning.  But still, I loved being able to go to the grocery store, pick up whatever looked good and be able to bring it home and have him create something.  It reminded me of that old show on Food Network, remember that?  Ready, Set Cook!  Guest competing chefs were each given five items to work with.  Something like that.

But as time went by, he pretty much stopped cooking at home.  He cooked his heart out at work and never had the energy at the end of the day.  I don’t complain too much because I enjoy cooking and whenever I go into his restaurant he’ll make whatever I want, even if it isn’t on the menu.  So there are perks.

But the other downside is that he’s worked with so many chefs here in Baltimore and there are a few that he just can not stand.  To the point that he will not go to their restaurants.  And one of them, Cindy Wolf, is one of the best chefs working in Baltimore today, with one of the best restaurants, Charleston.  And I’d love to visit Nancy Longo’s tapas joint.  But, just not happening, not with him. 

Gonna have to rally my girlfriends, that’s all.

This post, like most, begins with a “So”

So the husband called me yesterday and asked me whether I wanted to do something “special” today.  His weekend helper needed some extra hours and asked whether he could work for my husband today.  At first, I didn’t know what we could do since I work until 10pm and by the time I’m off work, there really isn’t anywhere to go.

I mean, we could go to a bar, but we do that anyway, heh.

But then I remembered that Jack’s Bistro serves food until 1am and there food is GOOD.  And super-inventive and cool and stuff.  I wrote a review of them in my old blog.  You should read it. 

So I had my tastebuds all set for something neato nifty peachy keen.  Thai coconut curry mussels or something like that.  We walked all the way down there (a good half hour walk)….only to find out they’re closed for the week.  Vacation! 

Much pouting ensued.  Plus, consternation.  It was 11pm and we needed food, badly.  And there just isn’t much open……plus, there was the issue of my demanding tastebuds.

I quickly evaluated our options.  We could walk back home and I could try to come up with something for dinner on the fly.  But I really did not feel like cooking.

Or.  We could go to the Sip ‘n’ Bite.

Yeah.  So I hit the reset switch on ye olde tastebuds and told them they wanted a pizza burger sub and they protested mightily but we had a good half hour walk back to the diner where I was able to wrestle them into submission and by the time they got their sub they were very happy and made “Mm-mm” noises.

Except, when it came time to pay the tab, we found out that we couldn’t put the tip on our card.  And neither of us had any cash.  I don’t get that at all.  What type of restaurant doesn’t let you put a tip on your card?  Have any of you ever heard of such a thing?

But, we are not the sorts to walk out without tipping so I sent the husband scurrying down to Canton Market to get some cash while I tried to avoid finishing the rest of my french fries because really, who needs an ENTIRE side order of fries?  Why did I even order fries?  It’s not like their fries are particularly spectacular. 

So that was my night.  I wanted a tuna sashimi martini, I got a pizza burger and I was happy to have it. 

Happy Fourth, y’all.

In keeping with the emerging custom….

Herewith, a list.  With a twist.  As this is to be a mostly food blog, so shall be the list.

1. I love reading menus.  I will rarely go out for dinner without pulling up the menu for our destination online.
2. I’m a sucker for anything with cranberries, goat cheese, pistachios or beets.
3. One of the great sadnesses in my life is that my husband does not like root vegetables.  No carrots, no potatoes, no beets, NO SWEET POTATOES! 
4. As for myself, I can’t say that I’ve ever met a vegetable I dislike
5. Beans do not count as vegetables.
6. Having said that, I am a steadfast carnivore.
7. I love Food Network
8. In 1995, while in Rochester NY for business, I had the opportunity to visit Niagra Falls with some coworkers.  Instead I choose to stay in my hotel room and watch Food Network because at the time, it was not available to me at home
9. I’ve been watching cooking shows since I was wee.
10. Julia Child, Jeff Smith (The Frugal Gourmet), Justin Wilson (“How y’all are?) and Martin Yan (Yan Can Cook) were my idols growing up
11. I dreamed of one day going to culinary school and imagined an audition of sorts.  My nine year old self thought I would blow them away with my Chicken Tetrazinni recipe
12. My Chicken Tetrazinni IS darned good, y’all.
13. Growing up there were a lot of foods I thought I didn’t like, but I found out later that I was prejudiced by my parents’ dislike for those foods
14. Among them were sour cream, whipped cream, mayonaise, cream cheese (courtesy of my dad) and lamb (courtesy of my mom)
15. I’m still not overly fond of mayonaise.  I always ask for the thinnest smear.
16. I love lamb but I DON’T like lamb with its traditional accompanyment of mint jelly
17. My first taste of smoked salmon was at my aunt and uncle’s house following my grandmother’s funeral in 1996.
18. I still love a good New York style bagel with smoked salmon, tomato, onion, capers and cream cheese.
19. When I watch TV, I keep notes on recipes that I want to try and add them to my online recipe box when I get to the computer.
20. On tap for next week are recipes from Sandra Lee and Rachael Ray
21. My husband thinks Sandra Lee looks like a Barbie doll
22. I don’t much care for her but I do think she has some clever ideas.
23. Rachael, on the other hand, I adore.
24. Especially her giggle.
25. Lately, I’ve been testing my willpower by keeping a jar of Nutella in the pantry.
26. I allow myself one spoonful per day (about 100 calories)
27. My rationale is that one spoonful of Nutella is the equivalent of those 100 calorie packs, and I don’t feel guilty about having one of THOSE per day
28. But I can’t have a 100 caloire pack AND Nutella in one day
29. My other indulgence is the Bacon Chocolate bar from Vosges au Chocolat
30. Hey, don’t knock it until you try it.
31. Smoky salty bacon + deep milk chocolate = divine indulgence
32. My love for food combined with my love for fashion have forced me to the gym
33. Because I just can’t find cute clothes in my size
34. I’ve been going for a month now.  I get weighed and measured on Wednesday. 
35. My home scale is broken because I dropped it so I have no idea how much I weigh
36. But I think I’m doing well.  I’ve gone from a size 20 jean to a size 16.
37. Admittedly, the size 16 is a little tight but not too bad.
38. I’m not actually dieting though.  Just practicing moderation
39. One thing that is helping is I’m not drinking as much beer.
40. I used to have three per night from my husband’s nightly 12 pack, but he is not drinking as much these days, so I am not drinking much either
41. I DO like beer though.
42. And Irish Mist
43. Last weekend, my daughter made a batch of iced tea.
44. Later that evening, she came into the kitchen as I was making dinner and asked whether she could have a snack
45. I told her no, that I didn’t want her to fill up before dinner
46. She said, “But you’re filling up on my iced tea.”
47. I started to say, “No no, that’s not iced tea, that’s Mommy’s booze”
48. But it was too late.
49. She’d already taken a swig
50. And immediately spit it into the sink

Next entry, my experiment with making a 30 minute meal….in 30 minutes.