Recipe for romance

So many culinary terms conjure up romantic thoughts: Steamy. Sizzling. Hot. Flaming passion. Flying sparks. Or in the words of Hank Williams, "Hey, good lookin', whatcha got cookin'?"

So it's no surprise that the movie industry set its latest romance in a restaurant kitchen. "No Reservations" stars Catherine Zeta-Jones as an obsessive executive chef at a high-end restaurant, who (we surmise from the trailers and ads) ends up falling for her brash sous chef (played by Brigham Young University graduate Aaron Eckhart), who has a flair for singing and sauces.

Someone in Hollywood must be hungry, because "No Reservations" follows in the wake of the summer's big animated film, "Ratatouille," about a rat who wants to become a chef; and "Waitress," the story of a young, pregnant waitress who creates fabulous pies based on what's happening in her life (such as her "don't-want-Earl-to-kill-me pie").

If this is a trend, concession stands may start serving hors d'oeuvres instead of popcorn.

But in real life, does the professional kitchen lend itself to romance? We found a few local culinary couples who met and fell in love in a restaurant setting, and those who have managed to keep the romance alive while working side by side in the food industry. While it's not all hugs and quiches, they say there are benefits to having a partner who understands the long hours and the stress of the job.

JIN & AKANE NAKAMURA

Jin and Akane Nakamura met at the Kobe Steakhouse in Ogden about three years ago. He was a sushi chef; she was a server. Now married for about two years, the couple works together at the Mikado restaurant in downtown Salt Lake City, slicing, dicing and rolling ingredients like ahi tuna, avocado, rice and nori seaweed into sushi rolls. Jin is now the head chef. Akane, in addition to her sushi chef job at Mikado, recently took a second job as a prep cook at Bambara to get experience in contemporary American cuisine.

With their hectic work schedules, "It's nice to work with him. If we didn't cook together, I don't think we'd ever see each other," said Akane. She credits Jin for encouraging her to pursue a culinary career. "I was always interested in it, and he finally pushed me to start doing it."

Does cooking together help the relationship? "It's great, because we share the same interests," Jin said.

But there are tricky issues to deal with, said Akane. "Right now there's an issue that I want to get a raise, and they might just think he's only giving it to me because I'm his wife."

LEA & JEFFREY RUSSELL