Chef Appreciation Day is one of those unusual holidays that varies a little in date because it falls on the Sunday of National Chef’s Appreciation Week, which is the third week of every August. This year, it’s falling on August 19th and every year it’s a great time to acknowledge all those wonderful people in our lives who take the time to prepare delicious, beautiful food for us whether that’s indulging in melted chocolate or following the International Dysphagia Diet!!

We’re all good at different things, and it’s no secret that for most of my life I’ve been innately awful at all things related to cooking, baking, food shopping, etc. One of the things on my Bucket List was literally “Cook a meal that doesn’t kill anyone“. (I succeeded!) I’ve broken not one, but four microwaves in my life, and for almost 29 years I had zero instincts when it comes to turning ingredients into something edible. One time I called my friend across the country to ask how to turn regular eggs into the kind you can dye for Easter and she thought it was a prank. I was very, very serious.

I’m very grateful for people who love making delicious food, and I’m also grateful for my relatively recent interest in cooking that has allowed me to create healthier, cheaper meals for myself! It’s WAY better and not as terrifying as I thought it would be once I dove in.

For this post, I thought it would be fun to take pictures of me naked in an apron (pro body positivity, hey!) and holding copious amounts of popcorn we found at the old studio to pay homage to the way that I broke my very first microwave as a teenager. RIP.

10 Ways To Celebrate Chef Appreciation Day

1. Write a thank you note to someone in your life who cooks you (or used to cook you) food on a regular basis or who made you the best meal of your life
2. Buy a book by one of your favorite famous chefs and start recreating their recipes at home
3. Send back your compliments to the chef at a restaurant
4. Take a cooking class and learn about the skills and talent chefs require
5. Send goodies/treats/flowers/notes to the entire kitchen staff at your favorite restaurant
6. Get some gifts for the chef in your home like a new apron, new knives, a crock pot, etc.
7. Let your chef take the night off and cook for them or pay someone else to do it
8. Create some chef inspired art, whether it’s a mural or a burlesque dance where you slowly peel off a hair net 😉
9. Watch the crap out of the Food Network or some chef inspired movies like Julie And Julia
10. Donate to a culinary school to keep the new talent coming

Apron: HomeGoods // Hat: Amazon

Photos by: Maura Housley