Branded by Proxy

I'm very proud of my husband. He's got a hard job, works long hours and doesn't get paid a huge salary to do it. He works in the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston cooking for The Bristol Lounge. He has been working for the hotel for over 10 years. He's recently been working his tail off and has been working 12 hour days. He's an amazing cook to say the least.

This is just a little dinner Scott whipped up in honor of my Aunt's birthday - it's straight from the French Laundry Cookbook.

What does this have to do with branding?

Well, this upscale dining experience has rubbed off on me. I have no idea how to cook and I'm pretty freakin psyched when I make something that is not a catastrophe - especially when it requires that I use the oven and/or the stove top.

This is a sad example of what happens when I cook. Usually I can bake some yummy desserts, but on this particular attempt, the cake fell apart out of the oven. At least it was still very tasty - we just had to serve it in a non-traditional manner.

What I do know is food. Terms such as Amuse-Bouche and that it's a teaser served at the beginning of the meal to 'delight the mouth' of the guests are commonly discussed in my house. When we have a date night, almost anywhere we go will have an Amuse-Bouche. And if we're really looking for a special night, the restaurant will serve Mignardises. This is all part of our daily dialogue and a secret weapon in my marketing arsenal. While I live a laid-back life and spend most of my days in denim, I can clean up and play in an upscale world as if I had a bank account that made me part of that world.

Thanks to my husband's skills, the friends we have made along the way, I have learned an amazing skill for understanding fine-dining and an essential part of fine-living.

However, I am a down-to-earth girl. I hate it when people freak out over inviting us to dinner. We both love a good simple home made meal. We're laid-back people and don't eat tuna tartare on a daily basis (although I really could eat it daily - yum.) What does all this mean? I have been branded due to my marriage to a chef. And while I love that world, it does not paint the complete picture of me - I have a well-rounded palate. So bring me a Five Guys burger any day - I'll enjoy that just as much as I enjoy a Bristol Burger - probably more because I can finish one!