Hubby in the Kitchen

A few days ago, I had the opportunity to go to the school where my husband is studying culinary arts.  He has had a dream for a long time to own a restaurant, and so he decided to go to culinary school as the first step.  When he is at home, he is studying in his books, or working on projects.  He is duplicating things he has learned to cook, or practicing things he is working on learning.  Getting to eat the projects and experiments is a definite benefit of being the wife of a culinary school student.

But now and then, the school has events that the families are invited to attend.  Once, it was a dining experience for lunch, because Dearest Husband was learning the art of serving, and how wait-staff is expected to serve in a five-star restaurant.  Once it was a dessert buffet, as part of his final exam in a baking class.  He got an A+ on that exam, in my opinion.  Trust me, you want to try my husband's creme brulee!

This time, it was a kitchen class, and we were invited to lunch, cooked for us by my husband's class.  The lunch was superb, but the highlight of my afternoon was the fact that the kitchen has a glass wall which allowed us to watch them cooking our lunch.  I was watching my husband carefully preparing his dish, and I could just see how much concentration and attention he was putting into it.  It was fascinating to me to see the focus and determination on his face, and know that he was totally in his element, learning, creating, cooking.

I sometimes see the frustration, the frenzy, the aggravation, when a project is almost due, and he feels there are details still not in place.  Or when he is studying for a test he does not feel completely ready for.  Or when he he is cooking a dish at home that is not quite cooperating.  But I don't often see the excitement for his craft or the joy of the finished product the way I did at the school that day.

Lunch, of course, was amazing.  But the most amazing part was seeing my husband enjoying himself cooking it.