Happy Halloween!

Trick-or-Treat! I'm sure those of you with children are getting ready for trick-or-treating, Halloween parties, and passing out candy for door to door kids in Optimus Prime costumes.

I'll be home tonight (alone...duh) and I'll pass out candy in my Hermione Granger (from Harry Potter) costume.

I hope your chefs are around to see the little ones dressed as polyester witches and Disney princesses. I'd be happy to share pictures on this site if you email them to me. I hope that when I CHOOSE to have children they will be able to spend this hyperactive holiday with their father. Until then, I'll stand on the other side of the trick-or-treating door.

Also, enjoy the pic of my chef and I at Jean Georges. I totally forgot we took it! And in the spirit of Halloween I've added a disguise to my husband until I'm allowed to reveal his identity. Check out my most favorite egg caviar. Perfectly blended flavors, textures, and architectural design-that's JG in an eggshell.

Oh I slay me.

DCW_NYC

-H-

Tools of the Trade

I am not ashamed to say the chef and I came from nearly nothing when we moved to NY in 2004. Well, we had two cars filled with clothes and some lamps and such, but really-how much can you fit in a couple of automobiles? Some of our first cookware was from Wal-Mart. And no, I'm not ashamed of that either.

You see the chef refuses to cook with some sub-par (aside from us NEEDING a boiling pot from Wal-Mart) so he wouldn't buy anything unless it was All-Clad "because that's what real kitchens use". Well it was fine by me because I didn't really mind the Wal-Mart stuff. But it was getting a little annoying-I mean sort of embarrassing.

Then one day I struck gold! I was in Ohio visiting the fam at one my most favorite shops: Home Goods. I was searching in the kitchen wares section through countless little Italian porcelain chefs holding novelty signs "The Kitchen is Open" , "Live Laugh Love" when I saw it. A 12 inch All -Clad saute pan with lid! Right in the middle of HOME GOODS! Now, something had to be wrong with it since it was in HomeGoods, they were not able to sell me a full priced saute pan. But I let out a sigh of relief when I noticed the "blemish"- a 6 inch scratch on the bottom of the pan. Not too bad for $89.

Again a year later or so I was in Ohio again, and yes I was in HomeGoods (family tradition) and I found another pot!!! This time it was an 8 quart copper core pot with a lid! Again it was discounted at an extreme rate and I couldn't pass it up. So what if the lid was a little tight on it!

So now I have decided that Ohio only means good things for us. We found two amazing pans/pots and my chef was promoted twice while on vacay with me in Ohio. And he still won't move there (???) Haha.

The plan is to continue to hunt for All-Clad cookware and never pay full price. I should have a complete set by 2012.

DCW_NYC
-H-

Hometown Hotness

Due to a considerable amount of emails/comments/myspace chatting/ I have realized that there are a lot of people reading this blog from all over the world! I cannot wait to see the global impact of this blog as more people pass by here. Dear God, thank you for the internet. Love, ME. So check out the map to the right as it explodes in little dots similar to ice cream of the future: dip n dots.

As for this wife, I lay my head in Newport, NJ at night, I blog via NYC, visit the folks in Columbus, OH, and rep Los Angeles where I lived with the chef for 17 years.

Thanks!

DCW_NYC

-H-

The Big 5-0.

Yes that's right my last post "Jean-Georges" was my fiftieth post! I haven't been around that long as a blogger but 50 is a milestone no matter how you look at it. As I celebrate this 50th post I am elated and grateful. Grateful for every person who reads my blog-even once. I am indebted though to the people who follow this blog and support the DCW.

Thank you readers! Please keep me on my toes: tell me when I say something you love or hate. Tell me your woes and your joys as a chefwife or member of this INSANE industry.

DCW_NYC

-H-

Look for a post about a my personal collection of kitchen essentials. You guessed it: the pots and pans.

Jean Georges

Photo by Noah Kalina

This Thursday, October 25, my chef and I will celebrate 2 years of marriage and 10 years of dating. Big deal right? So yesterday my husband took me to eat at my most favorite restaurant: Jean Georges.

From start to finish the meal was exceptional. I'm not a foodie or a reviewer so I'm not going to gush over the exquisite food but I will say this: Jean-Georges and his team are some of the most highly skilled people in the industry with dedication and drive beyond all else. This passion shows up in every bite of the dishes.

I would love to thank those responsible for the meal personally again here on the blog, but I'm not sure if they would like to be named. (Of course if they do want to to be named I would LOVE to-they can email me.) So I'll thank their generic titles.

My most gracious thanks to our server, sommelier, Johnny Iuzzini (I'll name him because I don't think he'll mind) and the best chefs around.

Bravo!

DCW_NYC

-H-

Borough Food and Drink

Last night my main gal pal and chefwife J and I went to Borough in the East Village on 22nd and Broadway and were mostly just weirded out. Borough's hook: "Showcasing the diverse food and drink of New York"

I do have to remind myself sometimes that not every restaurant in the city is going to be an A+ experience. As much as I reminded myself of this, I was still annoyed most of the time. And I was double annoyed when I dropped a sausage and it landed on my jacked and totally ruined it. Even J's Tide Stick couldn't save the day. But that I know, was completely my own fault.

So, I walk in the door and love the decor right away, comforting, comfortable, and cool. The wood all over the places make you forget your floating on a concrete island. I approached the podium and to me, when a patron approaches the podium any conversations between the staff should end until I'm seated when they can continue to talk about Justin Timberlake and the sale at Macy's. BUT, that's just me. So besides being ignored for a moment several other oddities occurred. Oddly enough there is one for each borough of NY.

1. The hostess wasn't really sure if I should pay my lounge tab at the lounge or if it could carry over to the table. She told me she was worried that I wouldn't pay. Makes me think I shouldn't have.

2. We were approached twice with food that was soon realized to have belonged to another table.

3. The waiter asked us twice within a few minutes what kind of water we wanted, then a busser came over and asked us again.

4. While the server was explaining the specials another server interrupted him and forgot the wise teachings of Molly Manners: "excuse me".

5. After I paid my lounge tab (in cash) the waiter came back and asked for the bill back. (?)

The food was good, the sausage was a little greasy (hence my irremovable stain), but very very tasty. So, not a horrible experience-just odd and unusual. I hope I don't sound like a food snob but every wife knows that being married to a chef you are exposed to so many amazing dining experiences that you know what restaurants are capable of.

The night wasn't a total bust though. J and her chef and my chef and I got together at our local spot Dublin. (which I love more and more every time I go)

DCW_NYC
-H-

I found peace on Google.com

Ironically enough, I found your site because I googled "dating a chef is so hard."

A fellow chefwife-let's just call her S-wrote to me and the first line of the email was the sentence above. How amazing did I feel at that very moment? Cloud Nine.

When I was getting frustrated with the industry, the hours, the pay, and all the others chef qualities thrown at me I sought help from Google as well. But there was nothing! Well, actually there was one article written by Juliet Rossant of Super Chef Blog that inspired me. Other than that-there was nothing.

Now when women in desperation seek Google for help they find me. Such a thrill and an honor to know that now there is help. If we lean on each other we can share our stories and feel less alone and aggravated. (at least I hope)

I do owe a lot to Google for this very blog (powered by blogger) and all the searches I've done. If you were to hack me here is a list of searches you would actually find:

boyfriend is a chef

casey top chef

David and Karen Waltuck

NYC chefs

Ratatouille

smelly chef

young chef

desperate wives

PX this

famous chefs' wives

Have a nice weekend!

DCW_NYC

-H-

I OWN the Desperate Chefs' Wives!

Its official ladies and gents http://www.desperatechefswives.com/ is MINE! I own it and I feel like I truly deserve it. Not becasue of the writing or my sensational sense of humor (ha) but because I spent hours peeling the internet for some sense about setting up my new blog site. Buying the domain was easy, but getting it to link with my old blog site was a NIGHTMARE.

Literally, I was screaming and crying last night and for some reason I tried again today and got it to work! Hazah! So yeah, I hate and love computers. Mostly love.

Pass the word the DC dubs have got there own spot on the net.

DCW_NYC

-H-

gotta run, the chef and I will be celebrating 2 years of marriage next week and 10 years of dating so he needs a gift!

Ex-chef wife gets BIG MONEY

Chef John Burton Race and his mistress bag hag.

This story is copy and pasted from Daily Mail and its gooood. I'll make it easier on you and highlight the most read worthy quotes and tid bits.

Cheating chef walks out on his family for mistress and secret child

By LUKE SALKELD

Last updated at 08:27am on 20th March 2007
He describes himself as a devoted husband and relocated his family to France so he could "spend more time with them". But celebrity chef John Burton Race has left his wife Kim feeling betrayed after leaving her and their six children for another woman - who secretly had his child.

The flamboyant 49-year-old restaurateur, currently based in Dartmouth, Devon, has a two-year-old son with 40-year-old Susan Ward, his agent's former personal assistant.

The source added: "John has admitted to Kim that he has a child with this other woman."
Susan Ward is believed now to sell greetings cards. Burton Race has been away filming his latest TV series but Kim, 42, his second wife, confirmed that he had walked out on the family.
She said: "The children and I are feeling betrayed and very fragile at what we have discovered."
On his website, Burton Race modestly describes himself as "a television natural, discerning author, shrewd businessman, eloquent orator, devoted husband, father of six, dog walker of two". He adds that he is "a culinary genius and a big softie at heart".

The three-time Michelin starred chef has moved in with mistress Susan Ward.

According to a source close to the family, he has been seeing her for more than three years "so maybe he moved his family to Devon just so he could be near her".

Burton Race was featured in the Channel 4 series French Leave and Return of the Chef.
He uprooted his wife and children to France and then Devon in his "quest for fine ingredients", saying he hoped to "rediscover his family, his love of cooking and his creativity".
The resulting pressures and arguments were lovingly recorded by a camera crew. Burton Race described himself to one interviewer as a "loud-mouthed, disagreeable, arrogant git".
He added: "I've had a wife who's in the business, and that has its problems, and I've had a wife who isn't in the business, and that has its problems.

"I'm not saying chefs are better off alone. They need someone to care for them, too.

"But if you're attracted to the madness of a chef, the excitement of him, why spend all your life trying to mould him into being someone else? Get another bloke."

His current restaurant, the New Angel, opened in May 2004. It won a Michelin star within three months and both he and his wife have worked hard to make it a success. They have two children, Charles, nine, and Amelia, eight, while Kim has four children from her previous marriage, Eve, 20, Amelia, 18, Martha, 17, and Eliza, 11.

The couple met 11 years ago on a Caribbean island at a mutual friend's birthday party.
Both were married at the time, and Burton Race went through a bitter divorce from his French first wife, with whom he has two more children.

Like many chefs, Burton Race has a fiery temper.

Two years ago, armed police swooped on his home after a 999 call reporting that he had threatened to shoot stepdaughter Eve's boyfriend.

An update on the settlement: John is ordered to pay his ex-chefs' wife $7.2 million.

Me? Ask me any other day about women getting loads of money from divorce settlements and I'm usually the first to disagree with paying them out. But cheating...I don't know. If I were her, I would want it all too. Sweet revenge.

At least the cheating sack was right about one thing: chefs do need someone to care for them.

Thank you, CHEFSWIVES.

DCW_NYC

-H-

Fresh

I've got a couple new things on the blog to blab about. First-you'll see a poll that's on the top right: "What do you normally order to drink at a restaurant". I'd like to see your responses on that.

Also, waaaaay down at the bottom of the screen I've got a working link of the best chef television programming. This chef thing is getting so popular I could start my own network of chef shows. My new favorite one is 'After Hours with Daniel'. Not sure if everyone can get it. It's on the MAN CHANNEL, Mojo. Daniel is known to follow old school French management techniques (yelling and screaming) in the kitchen but on this show he is one smoooooooth and charming chef. Yum. He eats at all the hot spots 'after hours' with fellow chefs and sometimes actors, comedians, and community well knowns. They eat late and share captivating stories of all things chef. His next season is starting soon where he'll be in Los Angeles.

So that's all folks.
DCW_NYC
-H-

FoodCandy

Check out FoodCandy.com for my interview with the "guy behind Food Candy", dB. It it there that you can actually see pictures of me. Yes, ladies-I'm coming out. I figured I can show my face now without compromising my husband's career.
Food Candy is a great site for food lovers to come together and share ideas and stories and such.
Enjoy!

DCW_NYC

-H-

The Desperate Chefs' Knives

What is a chef without his symbolic knife? The heated power that floods out with every stroke is not just a tool that each chef uses. It is an exit for the passion that flows from the chef's hands and mind. And it is this necessary and appreciated tool that also sends grown men home with cuts, gashes, and other wounds of honor.


You can purchase one at the nearest $ store or search the world over to end up in Japan facing an 80 year old man who makes just a few knives each year that will cost thousands of dollars. The knives they use I thought were made of simple steel but my chef quickly corrected me: "No, there's virgin steel, stainless steel, alloy steel, blue steel, white steel, and steel blends." Silly me, why didn't I know that?



We always end up at Korin (downtown on Warren between W. Broadway and Church and Koring.com) that has the most helpful and courteous staff. When the chef is drooling over the knives through the glass cases I keep myself entertained reading the cookbooks or sitting at their little table. I think they put it there for chefswives. Even if the chef is going just to pick up a sharpening stone he always wanders towards the high end knives and gives me that look. And you know he loves the professional discount. Ah, the sweet taste of recognition and privilege.

The picture below shows Korin's showroom in downtown NYC.

I'm not sure about your chefs, but I know mine is very particular about his knives. He rolls his eyes when he has to cook at my parent's house who have common 'housewife knives'. He understands now that home and professional kitchens are different. After all, even my own kitchen has the hand me down knives that were once thought of to be amazing in my chef's culinary school days.

I remember that first call from the CIA. He was so impressed with the school grade knives that he wouldn't dare buy now. And when tv shows portray someone rapidly stroking a knife across a steel. "Ah!" I hear. "What are they doing? They're ruining the knife!" Knives are best kept sharp in order to prevent injuring yourself as well as yielding a better product. My chef sharpens his knives everyday and he has influenced his cooks to do the same. Dedication.

DCW_NYC

-H-

Hey Korin, you can make my chef "Chef of the Month" anytime!

I'm Famous!

Well, sorta. Check out this Sunday's NY Post and Page Six Magazine inside for an article on the most interesting topic ever: chefswives!

I did an interview a few weeks ago with a wonderful writer who saw a topic that needed to be explored. I know some chefs and thus some chefswives don't like Page Six because it is a gossip column, but not me! My chef hasn't been trashed, he's not known enough to get trashed. Not yet at least.

Enjoy!

DCW_NYC

-H-

There's Been A Hold Up

Greetings Wives!

I have to apologize for not writing in over a week. I have been working more than ever and the chef is on a new schedule as well (more hours of course) so things have been a bit bumpy around here. (I'm eating mashed potatoes for breakfast, does that tell you anything?)

I've got a few new articles I'm working on such as "knives: the extension of the chef" and a couple others. Plus we have to talk about a couple new shows that involve chefs and chefswives.

Sorry for the delay-you'll get your stuff soon.

DCW_NYC
-H-