Okay, so, this is a topic that has been on my mind for quite some time now; do ALL Chefs despise attending food-related events that they aren't presenting at/a part of? Or just mine?
Edmonton doesn't exactly have the most vibrant food scene in Canada, we're easily surpassed by Vancouver, Toronto, and even our neighbouring sister-city Calgary (three hours does in fact make a HUGE difference) but we do have a fabulous festival season. Our slogan is "The City of Champions" (due to our horrible hockey and football teams, apparently) but I have always felt it should be "The City of Kick-Ass Festivals". From the Fringe, to NewWorks, to Taste of Edmonton, to Jazz Fest, to Rocky Mountain Fest Edmonton is filled with awesome summer and fall festivals. All of which have amazing food available in a fun, outdoor setting.
Now, before my Chef and I started dating he had never gone to the Fringe. Ever. And he had lived near a participating city for his whole life, in one place or another. The Fringe is one of my all-time favourite events due to all the theater, and the fact that its an international event; I'm a theater junky. Two years ago I convinced my Cheffy-poo to attend with me... and, lo and behold, his favourite part (aside from the locally written song-cycle "Twenty-Five") was the availability of food deep fried within an inch of its life. ESPECIALLY the green onion cakes. I didn't mind, because at least it was a way for us to bond and spend some time together with the cell phone turned off (I'm a stickler about this rule at the theatre, no "silent" or "vibrate" mode for this girl). After seeing how much he enjoyed all the food, I suggested we attend the Taste of Edmonton festival which was simultaneously going on downtown. Taste of Edmonton is a festival in which a whole bunch of participating local restaurants (chains and independents alike) come together and present a selection of offerings from their menu in bite-sized or scaled down portions. You buy tickets, try food, and enjoy some hit-or-miss local beer all while enjoying the few scattered days of sunshine and heat that we actually GET in the summer. His response was
"Why would I want to go to that?!"
Well, maybe because its a great was to get out and enjoy the nice weather, some local artists, and try some food we might not ever have the time to try otherwise? Maybe because it might be nice to spend some time together that doesn't take place at midnight? Heck, maybe even because of the networking opportunities? But, no. He was adamant that we not waste our time, so most likely we ended up going to Home Depot that day instead. This same situation has come up with various other food-related festivals and events as well; wine and whiskey tastings at the Symphony, beer dinners at Sherbrooke Liquor, and I'm sure the Rocky Mountain Food and Wine Festival in November will be no different.
Is this a problem that other Chef's wives encounter? Or am I on my own with this one? Do other Chef's wives even ask to go to things like this with their partners? I'm curious!
Patience and love,
Faith
I think my chef is the same way. We don't go to food events unless he is working at them. He has no desire to. I think he knows the food is never as good as it would be at the actual restaurant. I should ask him though...
ReplyDeleteCongrats by the way on your blog! I'm happy to see you representing Canada!
Hi! I read Hilary's blog and saw you mention your blog. I am from Canada, and was pleasantly surprised that you are in Edmonton. I lived there for 5 years and this is where I met my Chef, and where he had completed his Red Seal. It will be great to hear about the Edmonton food scene from your blog. We loved Violino's too.
ReplyDeleteAs for the food-related events, my chef would LOVE to go to them, but unfortunately...he is always working and can't go.