Life

5 Yummy Reasons to Date a Chef

by Ko Im

I don't really cook but I really love to eat, and have watched my fair share of Bravo's Top Chef. I'm always amazed at the participant's ability to come up with impressive culinary creations and execute them with focus. Cooks are crazy cool artists in their own right.

I was recently involved with a chef of vegan food who shared my love of cookies. I savored the experience, and wondered what would be the perks of being involved with someone of this profession in the long run? They might be self-proclaimed crazy but also very giving and loving. Top Chef alum Sam Talbot tells Bustle, "We can make your worst day turned into your best night by just standing in the kitchen warming your soul thru food."

Here's some additional insight from a few of my lucky girlfriends with chef-boyfriend/fiance/husbands on why you should date this crush-worthy type:

1. They're passionate

The love of cooking is intoxicatingly attractive. MTV writer/producer Kim Thai says her husband, culinary school graduate and former Northern Spy cook Andrew Vaughn's, love of cooking makes him attractive: "I think it's important to have a partner who is passionate about something, whether it's work or school or a hobby. It feeds their soul in a way that really permeates through all facets of their life."

2. Food = love

They use their hands to express themselves. CBS2 entertainment reporter Suzanne Marques loves being served by her fiance Micah Fields, Top Chef alum and senior chef at Munchery: "He'll make you dinner and you'll feel like you're living an episode of a cooking show." (Sign me up!)

3. Daily life is delicious

Watching food TV together and traveling in pursuit of a good meal are always on the menu for NY1 reporter Agnes Chung, who's engaged to Top Chef alum Dale Talde: "I always have a partner who is excited to eat — whether it's an extravagant dinner or a guilty pleasure. I never have to be embarrassed about what I'm craving."

Sometimes eating healthily loses priority, though. Suzanne says because of late schedules, some chefs tend to eat a lot of fast food: "By the time Micah gets home, it's late and he just wants something hot. This usually means Chinese food or pizza." (No complaints here)

4. You become a food connoisseur

You shop for fresh ingredients, cook together, become better at dinner conversations, and expand your palette by trying new dishes. Agnes says "Chefs know how to spot a deal/negotiate. Plus they are incredibly quick at unit conversions."

While Kim will cook alongside her husband, sometimes sous chef Suzanne says the kitchen is mostly her fiance's domain. "If I ask, he lets me know when I'm screwing up, but on the plus side, he also guides and teaches me new tricks... I have an entirely new respect for the animals we cook for food."

5. Instagram expertise

His and her Instagram accounts are all drool-worthy, whether you are showing off the pre-meal prep, the finished product, or the post-feast aftermath. #foodie #dietstartstomorrow

By the way, now you can get the reality TV and real life culinary superstars to cook for you at home, or maybe cater to your other... interests. Something to think about.

Images: Sam Talbot, Suzanne Marques, Agnes Chung & Dale Talde/Instagram, Getty (1)