American chef, restauranteur and TV personality, Geoffrey Zakarian and his wife, Margaret, have been married for 20 years. She is the CEO of the couple’s business venture Zakarian Hospitality, LLC.; he is a celebrity chef on the Food Network, appearing as co-host of The Kitchen and featured judge on Chopped, and makes frequent appearances on QVC. He just came out with a new line of non-stick stainless steel cookware and in his spare time, he is also chairman of the Food Council at City Harvest. With so much on their plates, prioritizing date night is critical. So how does the celebrity couple keep the date nights going long after the Valentine candies come off the shelves? Here’s what he had to say:
First, while we have your attention, we’d love to hear about what it’s like behind the scenes on the set of Food Network’s The Kitchen.
It’s the most fun I have had! We all get along and are on a never-ending text chain. I personally learn so much seeing other people’s styles. We film two shows a day and we could easily do a third, but we spend too much time laughing and making fun of each other!
Tell us about your work as the Chairman of the Food Council at City Harvest, the nonprofit organization in New York City that helps “rescue” nutritious food from the city’s restaurants and delivers it free to food pantries and soup kitchens throughout the city.
I have the best job! I was supposed to wrangle chefs to join in the mission and help with mobile markets, marketing and fundraising. It’s literally the opposite. I get calls every day from amazing chefs asking if they can help, it’s truly remarkable how generous everyone is.
With such busy schedules, you and your wife must have lots of experience prioritizing quality time together. Do you have any advice for other couples on how to make date night a regularly scheduled event?
I suggest taking two days off and going away to a lovely inn. After a while, date night gets postponed, so my wife and I find it’s better to commit to a real weekend getaway rather than just a dinner or date night.
Are there any winter activities you are particularly fond of?
I love to ski but I am generally an anti-cold person. I grew up close to Boston and I never want to be cold again! Skiing is really the only outside activity I do when it’s cold.
When you can’t get out for a date, how do you make dinners at home special and romantic?
I always believe in cooking together and shopping together, which is surprisingly fun and helps to be more spontaneous. I recently released a new incredible line of non-stick stainless steel cookware to make clean-up easier when you are cooking at home, so it can feel just as relaxing as a night out.
Do you have any favorite dishes you and your wife like to have together?
We always have large containers of homemade sausage and kale soup, as well as an endless supply of delicious chili.
By February, a lot of people are running out of ideas for cooking cold-weather dishes. What can you recommend that might break them out of their routine?
There is nothing better than getting out the grill and throwing some Maine lobsters on it! I love grilling outside in all climates.
Do you have any favorite winter wine pairings?
Well, I always say drink what you like. Lately, we pretty much throw away the rules as to what goes together—but a chilled rosé is always in my fridge!
We love your fitness posts on Instagram! As a foodie and a busy chef and restauranteur, how do you find time to incorporate fitness into your life?
I make health and life a daily ritual. Even when I don’t work out, it’s a planned event, nothing happens without constant planning, so you just have to build a life ritual to meet whatever life throws at you.
