The winning entries

The fabulous winners of the Justin Quek dinner contest, brought to all of us through OCBC’s generosity, have kindly agreed to allow me to run their winning entries. To recap, I had asked readers to write a short essay (100-200 words or so) about their own chubby hubby or sexy spouse. Here are the winners, in no particular order:

1. We met 9 years ago and I can still remember the T-shirt she wore, what she drank, where she worked, the colour of her hair, the sparkle in her eyes. I remember thinking ‘WOW!’

Unfortunately she has no recollection whatsoever of this meeting!

Fortunately, fate threw us together 6 months later and she was bowled over by how much I knew about her – particularly her love of food. For our first proper date I took her to the famous Swee Kee restaurant at the Damenlou Hotel. The 4 C’s! Not in her mind. Can he order good Chinese food! I ordered the chicken, broccoli and the special tofu with crab meat. I passed the test.

We’ve since been to hundreds of restaurants all over the world and that remains the only time I have ever ordered for her! Food is King in her world…we chose our apartment because of the kitchen…the TV remote is stuck on AFC…and a small forest no longer exists due to the books and magazines lining our walls. Food is her passion. And I’m much the better man for it and her (even if a slightly bit chubby). SEAN DONOVAN

2. My once chubby hubby, Eric, has been my pillar of support, my buddy, my makan kaki and personal Aunt Agony all rolled into one. Lately he has also become my iPod fairy as I am not as technologically inclined like he is. New songs and photos get uploaded into my iPod every time I charge it while I am asleep. The next day while commuting to work, I would hear new songs on my iPod and it makes me smile as these songs bring back sweet memories of our relationship that started in ’88, which was a great vintage year, and it has been an ongoing sweet marathon for 18 years of which 9 were spent together as husband and wife.

Food is one of the strong links that binds us both. From trying street food in Shanghai to hunting down the best ramen in town to satisfying my midnight cravings for frog leg congee in Geylang, he has always been game and relishes the food experiences each time with as much as gusto as me. He has been my “guinea pig” and diehard fan as I try out different recipes at home after reading cooking books and the numerous local food blogs such as Kuidaore, Nibble & Scribble, Umami, Slightly Pretentious Food and yours.

After being together for almost two decades, every day with him is still fresh and fun and most important of all, my chubby hubby still makes me laugh and I love him for that and so much more. ANNIE TAN

3. “Greta Carbo”
Not the screen goddess. I am talking about my XM and her craving:

“Get-her-the-Carbo”

She simply must have her carbohydrates. Bread, potatoes, rice, noodles, pasta – one of these characters must cameo at some point in every meal. I on the other hand am a carbo minimalist: I love my fruits and greens, meat and oceanfare. Of course, XM likes all of those too, but her true passion is carbo.

As the cook, you can imagine the balancing feats I am obliged to perform to achieve peace in our time:

“What’re you cooking for lunch?”

“Seared striploin in its pan juices with sauteed mushrooms on a bed of wilted spinach?”

“Atop a quivering slab of pommes dauphinoise?”

“Of course, what was I thinking…”

Sometimes I try to outwit: pseudo-carbos like carrots, radish and lotus root parade in different guises, though often in vain. Sometimes she lets it slide, mostly I do.

But when I see her nibbling blissfully on a piece of hot buttered toast or starting dinner with that first unaccompanied mouthful of steaming white rice, I understand why she has the final word:

“Carbo makes me happy.”

You can’t really get smarter than that, can you? CHONG KIM SOON

About Aun Koh

Aun has always loved food and travel, passions passed down to him from his parents. This foundation, plus a background in media, pushed him to start Chubby Hubby in 2005. He loves that this site allows him to write about the things he adores--food, style, travel, his wife and his three kids!

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