Take a deep breath, and.....

Well, it's certainly been a whirlwind of a fortnight with the realisation of our long anticipated European holiday - oh the sights that were seen, the sounds that were heard and the MASSIVE amount of incredible food consumed! So bear with me as I walk you through two weeks of food, fun and several 'cheesegasms'.

We kicked things off immediately upon landing in London. After a quick shower and costume change we met up with my little sister and headed east for brekkie in Spitalfields at St John Bread and Wine (offshoot of the Smithfield restaurant). We gorged ourselves on Old Spot bacon sandwiches (you can see me pictured here with my laughing gear wrapped around one!), porridge and prunes and poached fruit, yogurt and brioche. A perfect way to kick of for a couple of gourmet travellers!

The next couple of days were filled with treats from Hummingbird Bakery , great coffee at Coffee Plant in Notting Hill and tapas in Covent Garden before we crammed a few things in a bag and nicked off to Paris.

After scoffing a desperate microwave cheeseburger on the eurostar and catching a few much needed z's we made are way to the hotel. (A little note needs to be inserted here...I started writing this post in October and stopped after getting to this point because I needed to find the name of the kindly Parisian journalist who made our time in the city of lights oh so faboosh...H has told me a million times but it is very French and I cannot commit it to my hopelessly English speaking brain so the post continues and he will be known only as Mr Paris until I can correct it).

Update - The food writers names is Henri Yadan...YAY!

The Raddisson Trocedero was simply stunning. It was everything I hoped it would be. Classic French furnishings, perfect location! Henri met us before we had even checked in and whisked us away to L'Arc, a modern French restaurant in a prime position with the most perfect views of the Ard de Triumphe you will ever see. We ate like kings and banished all memories of the microwaved cheeseburger. Unfortunately I have no idea what we ate as we didn't order, we were just fed but the butter alone was worth the journey!

That night we ate at Michel Rostang - a hook up via H's employers..who also picked up the tab (it is always a concern when the woman - that's me - is handed a menu with no prices...) Again we were treated and ate like royalty. The wild duck being the absolute highest point among many.

We had only one full day in Paris and that was spent on a day trip to Versailles. A cycling day trip that is. I won't bore you with the details but let me say this...if you book a cycling tour please ensure you know how to ride a bike, otherwise there is a genuine risk that you will fall off said bike and scream the 'F-Word' at your husband in the middle of one of the most picturesque places on the planet resulting in American tourists 'tutting' disapprovingly...let's move on. We did have a fantastic picnic after a stop at the markets (pictured). This was also the site for the aforementioned 'cheesegasms', which involved H making very strange noises as we approached the many fromage stalls.

Our final night was spent at a newish restaurant recommended by Henri, Mini Palais. Again all French menus but very helpful waiters who confirmed my guess at 'chicken' and proceeded to bring me a bit of very fine roast chook...i mean le chook.

We were back in London 5 minutes before my bestie and her husband packed us in the back of the vauxhall for a mini-break in Cornwall which included a visit to Rick Stein's Seafood restaurant in Padstow. It DID NOT disappoint. There is a couple of pics here, yes that is a half lobster/full foie gras lobe salad. That was H's entree. And yes that is me attempting to fit the entire crab in my mouth at once, BRILL!

For our final few days we spent most of the time in pubs with breaks for visits to Borough Markets and a very speccy lunch at the Harwood Arms in Fulham, including English lamb shoulder, venison and grouse...yummers.

So that about sums it up, I'll spare you the emotional turmoil of returning to a place we once called home and still long to, and once again having to say good bye to my most precious friends not to mention my little blister (sister)...hmmm, maybe you weren't spared after all.

I'm sorry it took so long to wind this one up, i started writing in October and am typing now well into the new year but here it is...almost time for another trip me thinks!

Sympathy Takes You Places

So yesterday's post got a few people a little worried (by a few people I mean my mother)! Don't worry Mum, I'm not about to fling myself of a bridge!

Not long after the post was published I received a text message from my cousin, fashion blogger @sarahstyle (for those of you on twitter). A little bit of sympathy will get you to exciting places these days, as my cousin was texting to say she had a spare ticket to Melbourne Spring Fashion Week Designer Series 3 and would I like to be rescued from another lonely night in? Ummmmmm, yes please.

So I heeled up, threw on my fab new trench coat and dragged my boring old butt into the Melbourne Town Hall, and MAN, am I glad I did.

It's all about who you know (and @sarahstyle seems to know everyone) we were seated on the floor, a mere metre from the runway and in prime position to see the fabulous new creations from the likes of Gorman, Wayne Cooper, Bettina Liano and Arabella Ramsay. The Gorman polka dot dress was a definite fave and I will be looking into investing into it (yes I see my fashion purchases as investments). It really was a fabulous was to pass a chilly September eve and a BIG thank you goes out to my beautiful cousin for thinking of me.

As I strutted my stuff back down Swanston Street, goodie bag in hand I found myself thinking 'a girl could get used to this' and I practiced my best runway walk all the way home. Now, if I could just grow 3 feet...and lose 30 kilos...

The Dark Side of the Spoon

As of next week H and I will have been together for 11 years. H has been a chef for 10 of those years and I have never once felt like I was missing out on anything, having a partner who works so much...until now.

Most of our friends have now moved out of the city, my closest friends including my sister all live overseas, my parents live down the coast. This does not leave a girl with many options for human contact during the week. To be honest it's not even general socialisation I'm craving, I just miss my husband.

Every night I come home to an empty house, sure the cat is there but no matter how much I talk to him he doesn't answer back, with words I mean, he is constantly telling me he loves me with his eyes...SEE, I've become a crazy cat lady! Twenty-something married women are not supposed to be crazy cat ladies!

H doesn't understand and I can't ever expect him to. He has the opposite problem and I'm sure he craves some alone time but quite frankly I am sick of my own company, I'm just not that interesting.

Being married to a chef has a lot of benefits - great food, exciting adventures and proof that the expression 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' is absolutely true, but lately the mind numbing lonliness has been taking over.

I often think about what it will be like when we have children. Obviously it will be difficult but I guess it is for all new parents, and lots of families have one parent working long hours or shift work or the likes.

This post has been a little less jovial than usual but the blog is supposed to be about the life of a chef's wife and this is a big part of it. We all make sacrifices and compromises for the people we love and I would never ever ever ever expect H to make any changes to his career or choice but sometimes the person who sits around waiting for him gets to have a bit of a winge (once in 11 years isn't so horrible is it??)

So a big hug goes out to all the hospitality widows and widowers out there, this one's for you!

Twitterverse

Don't forget to follow me on twitter - @chefwifelife

Here's a few other twitter-ers worth following:

@Slavisa_ :all things divine and domestic

@fromBecca :up to date info on all things foodie

@eatyourmeal :my hubby!!

@HomeZeroHome :UK based blogger, very interesting info on greening our homes

I am the (equal) Champion

I won the office footy tipping comp! Can you believe it? Yes you say? Well, did I mention I know NOTHING about football?

I have put this win down to pure luck and a good understanding of statistics and probability (one of the few mathematics subjects I received good grades in at school!).

Unfortunately one other colleague also achieved the awesome score of 120 so the prize was split in half however my winnings will still bump my London shopping fund up significantly.

H does not follow football at all. I asked him over the weekend, what if we have a child who is very interested in football, would he become a follower to support our child's interests? He said that by the looks of my tipping scores I could take that job. I reminded him that this win does not mean I can teach our kids anything about football, just about gambling...we're going to make fantastic parents!

Better Luck Next Year

Last night saw the launch of The Age Good Food Guide 2011. As those of you who put up with my intermittent blogging may remember, my husband (otherwise known as H) was shortlisted for Young Chef of the Year. Epicure readers will have seen his pretty face gracing the pages a couple of weeks ago along with the other four finalists (the photo the paper used was taken about 8 years ago when H was part of an article about up and coming apprentices in Melbourne!)

So H went along to the awards presentation at NGV last night and, as the invitation did not include a 'plus one' I followed the announcements via twitter from home...in my PJs...in front of the heater.

Unfortunately H did not win the award but will have one last shot (before he reaches the 30 age limit) so will throw his hat in the ring again next year. The restaurant did hold onto its coveted THREE hats (that's a major give away as to where he works) so that's a plus.

Also, very exciting news for Loam Restaurant (who I have previously blogged about). It is their first year in the guide and they walked away last night with two hats, best new country restaurant and dish of the year (suckling pig). A BIG congrats to the team, very well done and deserved! Check out the rest of the winners at www.theage.com.au.

By Jorg!!

Let me begin by apologising for being the world's worst blogger (again). I promise to try and be more vigilant from now on!!

H and I went to the newly opened Jorg (pronounced George) on St Georges Road in North Fitzroy last week. The restaurant has only been open a couple of months but judging by the lunch we enjoyed all of the opening bugs have been ironed out. The space - formally a fruit and vege shop - is simply stunning and chefs Michael Smith and Bryce Bernhardt have poured their hearts and souls into creating not only a contemporary, stylish dining space but a warm, exciting menu that encourages plenty of foody conversation with a range of small plates designed to share.

The dining room is beautifully furnished - check out the gorgeous polished concrete floors and 'industrial chic' French light fittings. Even more impressive is the function room at the rear of the building. Light and airy I can envisage it hosting many ubercool parties in the future. One of the first such affairs will be the PinotNow dinner hosted at Jorg on Monday 13th September. To book call 9482 3002.