Who is Chicken and Broccoli?

Chicken and Broccoli is a playful nickname I use for my wife. It’s a moniker that conveys consistency, dependability, and reliability; a known quantity. It’s not haughty or pretentious.

To be a great Chicken and Broccoli means being made of simple ingredients, prepared with love, tried and true. After a long week, it’s a dish you just want to sit on the couch with to relax and enjoy your favorite show. It’s something you can enjoy for a lifetime, without agita or complaint.

We’ve been together for over 20 years now, and my wife has almost always ordered Chicken and Broccoli whenever we’ve had Chinese food. It’s become part of how I know her. When we were younger, I’d challenge her on it: “Don’t you want to try anything else? I can’t believe you just want the same thing!”

But now, I get it. I appreciate the order. I appreciate knowing her, really knowing her and all the little things that make her unique. These small, steady preferences mark your soulmate from another as we stitch our own story on this cosmic quilt of life.

Lately, I’ve been thinking more deeply: what else does it say about her?

She doesn’t chase after fancy new dishes. She’s never soared with the Phoenix and Dragon. She’s not looking for the heat of the Sichuan region or going toe-to-toe with General Tso. She’s not dabbling with mung bean scrubs, and she’d like your Happy Family to keep it down. Even with the broccoli, she’s not mixing things up; no shrimp, no beef, no pork. Just chicken, thank you very much.

As our friend Han says, “Thank you for the waitings!”

Now, if your wife or girlfriend is Chinese menu curious, be warned: you might want to prepare for the other shoe to drop. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but she might be cheating on you. Be warned that your spring roll may get swapped out for an egg roll. There’s a chance she’s wrapped up with triads or smoking opium in one of Newtown’s many hollowed-out dream factories full of stretch-pant mommies.

But if your wife can stick with the same dish for a lifetime?

That’s a great sign she can stick with you.