July Cooking Classes with Your Kitchen Companion
Had a great cooking class last week with a couple who wanted to learn about butterflying and carving chickens. I don’t carve chickens frequently at home especially during the summer because I like to take the remaining bones and make stock. With the weather reaching the 90′s and humidity it would turn my house into a boiler room! Though butterflying chickens is another story. It’s perfect for outdoor bbq’s and it’s easy and flavorful. This is my favorite things to teach during the summer. Another bbq favorite that I did the other day was to take flank steak, stuff it with spinach and cheese, then roll and skewer them to make pinwheels. It tastes awesome plus the presentation of it is a crowd pleaser.
Personal Chef Random Food News
What do sardines, salmon, trout, anchovies and turbot (flatfish) have in common? They’re all low in mercury and high in omega-3’s. I don’t know about you but I hit peaks and valleys over the years with salmon. I think I ate it so much one year that I gave it up for a very long time. The nice thing about each fish is that they have a different flavor and texture; buttery and smooth, salty and
flakey, and pungent (in a delicious way). I’ve also been using and teaching other cooking techniques that include steaming in parchment paper, tea smoking on the stovetop, or using a bamboo steamer. It adds another layer of flavor than
simply roasting or pan-frying. These are simple techniques that don’t require a lot of preparation time.
Duckfat. Yes, I’ve been using it. But don’t wince and turn away from the idea too quickly. Actually, I’ve been reading that the amount of fats and health benefits between duck and olive oil is very similar and the melting point of
duck versus butter is 14C versus 32C respectively. Though like everything else, eat in moderation, it’s still fat. So where would you purchase duckfat? Well, it’s on the shelves of William Sonoma for $10 and sometimes they’ll prepare it
with a stew for the customers to taste. Course a more economical alternative is to just buy 2 whole ducks from your butcher, render the fat, and store it in the refrigerator. Duck is very popular during the holidays but you can add it to
your summer salad or saute in a pan with vegetables for a light summer alternative. Duck confit is a very delicious gourmet treat and the process takes a minimum of 3 days though you can keep the duck legs in the refrigerator
for months until you’re ready to cook. A 3-day preparation process sounds daunting but a lot of it does not require any hands-on work.
I wasn’t able to post this in a newsletter since it happened back in February, but I had such a great experience working with Half Hollows High School that I thought I’d share it here. Many of my West coast friends with school-aged children rave about what their children are having in school, course they live in a region where fresh vegetables are readily available all year round. So I
always wondered about my own local district especially since my children will be in school in a few years. I was hoping that I wouldn’t experience something out of Jaimie Oliver’s Food Revolution. So early first quarter I volunteered as
part of Michelle Obama’s Call to Chefs where local school districts can request for a chef to assist in various ways in school kitchens. This can involve putting together a menu, leading an entire kitchen staff, or researching food sources. A week later I received a call from the Director of Nutrition requesting for ways to update their current menu with more vegetable recipes that high school teen-agers would enjoy. We started by weighing the cost of ingredients and reviewed the availability of certain
vegetables from their resources. She mentioned that they were currently working on a food coop to try and secure fresh and local vegetables as opposed to getting them frozen. From there I listed several recipes which was a mix of main, sides, and salads that can be introduced in their new Spring menu. The final phase was to do a test run in their kitchen and provide samples to a
focus group of students to determine whether it met their palate. At the end of February I showed up in their kitchen bright and early at 6am ready to cook 100 servings of each dish. I was impressed with the kitchen staff and how they embraced every aspect of the project. I’m glad they didn’t view my presence as a threat or as someone who would place judgment on the type of meals they
provided. We worked together and the project was a success. The following items were added to their Spring menu:
Four Cheese Vegetable Lasagne with Turkey Tomato Sauce
Southwestern Mixed Vegetable and Barley Salad
Brown Rice and Wild Rice Pecan and Dried Cranberry Pilaf
Turkey and Vegetable Chili
Dinner Dilemmas Solved By a Personal Chef
When I lived in Southern California as an analyst, I worked long days that started before the opening bell of the New York stock exchange (which translates into 6 a.m.). At the end of the day, as I stepped into my apartment door, the last thing I wanted to do was think about what I wanted to eat—or even worse, start cooking. So after going through a list of the main food groups in my
head, it usually concluded with throwing a batch of pasta in boiling water and pouring on some tomato sauce from a jar. On better days maybe I would dig into the depths of my refrigerator to find leftover mushrooms and basil that weren’t scarred from old age. It’s a miracle that I was able to survive with this meal plan for quite some time.
So what are the supper solutions nowadays for someone with a full schedule who doesn’t want to compromise their health, time, and energy? It may include food-service bars in organic grocery stores or delis, fast food take-outs, or dining out at a local restaurant. Without a doubt there are many small delis and food bars at grocery stores that sell a variety of delicious salads and
healthy entrees, though you may find yourself limited to their weekly menus and variety of choices. The option of eating out will definitely put a dent in your wallet, not to mention that restaurant meals can be heavily doused with salt to
add big flavor. Also, local take-out choices like pizza and Chinese food may not be healthy alternatives. So what if you had a choice on exactly what you wanted to eat during the week with absolutely no restrictions on a set menu or
maybe help you maintain your diet plan?
Another alternative for busy individuals is the Personal Chef. The Personal Chef does everything from preparing a customized menu, grocery shopping, cooking, and kitchen clean-up at the client’s home. The only work from the client’s perspective is to pull whatever they feel like eating from the refrigerator, heat up the entrees according to labeled instructions, and dinner is served! Another plus is that the client can determine how much time they would like to spend in the kitchen everyday, if any. If they are comfortable only making side dishes then the personal chef can just prepare the entrees. There is also flexibility with using organic ingredients, special diets, and ethnic entrée selections. A service like this can help people stay on track
with special diets whether it’s a personal or medical-related issue. The menu plan is completely driven by the client with recommendations by the personal chef.
Is the chef my employee?
There’s always the confusion between a private versus personal chef. A private chef works exclusively for one client
and prepares all or most of their meals. Sometimes they can live under their client’s roof and be available at a moment’s notice. A personal chef is a different breed where service is for multiple clients and food is prepared in the client’s home. Meals are refrigerated or frozen with clearly labeled heating instructions on the package.
Do I need an entourage?
Most people assume that with a customized service like this you would pay a very high premium. Truth is, you’re not
paying celebrity prices and it isn’t as expensive as you might think. To have a personal chef prepare dinner entrees with appropriate side dishes for 2 weeks can start at $15 per meal. The price will fluctuate depending on your selections, and freezing options will go a long way. Compare this with Chinese take-out where one order of egg rolls, Chow Mein, and Kung Pao Chicken can run
just as much. Which one is the healthier alternative? Chefs can price their services either as all-inclusive or broken down by chef fee plus groceries, depending on how they choose to run their business. All these details are outlined at the initial consultation. Selecting a dinner service to include refrigerated meals to be eaten the week of service plus additional meals in the freezer for later consumption is the most cost-effective option for this type of service as opposed to getting freshly prepared meals every day.
It’s true that a personal chef isn’t for everyone, similarly with housekeeping or any other regular home service. But it can have value for those busy individuals and families where other priorities take the front seat and there is no compromise on health and good eating. It all depends on how one values the balance of work, chores, and leisure.
How does this all work?
Like any service-oriented profession in a home, there needs to be a level of trust with someone who cooks for you or your family. Personal chefs are interviewed and references should be available to the clients, whether it is from previous clients, culinary teachers, or any industry-related contacts. The conversation includes general eating habits, food allergies, specific food preferences, and your requirements on how frequent you will need the service. Realistically, individuals like to go out perhaps once a week to try a new or favorite restaurant, or just cook on their own every once in a while. So a service to refrigerate only 3 to 4 entrees and
freeze more for the following week may work for a client with this lifestyle.
At the end of the complimentary interview, the client and chef set up a mutually agreed cook date and the chef walks away with the list of client preferences to work with. Within a few days the client will receive a customized menu plan for approval. The menu is completed at least a week prior to the cook date. Cancellation policies vary with how each chef runs their business.
On the morning of the scheduled cook date, the personal chef will shop for all the groceries. All perishables are safely stored and transported in coolers. When the chef arrives at the client’s home, he or she will need access to the kitchen to set up equipment and cook for 4 to 6 hours, depending on the number of entrees. Most chefs bring their own equipment, but if you want a grilled steak, for instance, you may need to lend your barbecue grill. All equipment use is discussed and agreed upon at the initial interview. Also, if a client is interested, the chef may recommend and know where to get the basic gadgets for your kitchen.
At the end of the day, you’ll walk into your home with wonderful aromas and a refrigerator filled with food ready to be eaten. Just read the heating instructions on the package label and dinner is served. Having a meal at home like this will give you a feeling of eating restaurant food in your pajamas.
If the shoe fits . . .
Choosing a personal chef is like trying on a new pair of shoes. You want to make sure that the person fits your lifestyle and somewhat similar values. If you only eat kosher, you’d want to find a chef that is very knowledgeable in that department. If you’re a heavy meat-eater and the chef specializes in vegetarian dishes, your meat may not turn out the way you like it. Some chefs also offer catering for special events at home and cooking instruction. It’s nice to have one reliable source to go to for all your food-related needs. Shop around and speak to a few chefs to make sure they share your point of view.
Some chefs are members of a national organization. These chefs are trained by the organization’s certification program that includes topics from starting up a small business to food safety and handling. It’s also a valuable networking source for them to exchange business ideas, attend annual conferences for continuing education, and develop relationships with others in the field.
Checking for references, asking questions about a chef’s experience and background, or reading testimonials is important in your search since this is a business that spreads by word of mouth.
So after years of juggling a busy corporate schedule and evening dinner dilemmas, I eventually developed the passion to cook. I left my comfort zone and secure finance job in L.A. and moved to New York to attend the Institute of Culinary
Education. After a few years of trying to figure out how to marry my enthusiasm for cooking and desire to work with my
community, I stumbled onto an ad for the USPCA (U.S. Personal Chef Association), which taught me two valuable things: How I can provide excellent personal chef service and how to start and run a business. I opened Your Kitchen Companion Personal Chef Service (kitchencompanion.org) and am working for people with varying backgrounds, including new mothers, retirees, working
professionals, and families.
It’s refreshing to know that this type of service doesn’t just reach out to the wealthy. It’s also good to see that despite a busy lifestyle, there are still people out there that remember to sit down and enjoy a great meal every day, whether it’s prepared on their own or with a little help from a personal chef.
Luella Semmes is a Personal Chef for Your Kitchen Companion, LLC.
www.kitchencompanion.org
Personal Chef on Long Island….what a great job!
What’s for dinner at your house tonight? Take-out? Fast food? A supermarket frozen dinner? Or a delicious and nutritious home-cooked meal? Believe it or not, some busy professionals have passed dinner chores onto their Personal Chef, and you could, too.
I’m a long-time passionate cook and educated in culinary arts. I spend my days making kitchen solutions for busy individuals’ and loving every minute of it. One day could be spent experimenting in the kitchen, another throwing a birthday culinary party, and the next day planning a menu. Everyday is completely different and creative.
Is a Personal Chef Service a luxury, or is it a necessity? A Personal Chef is actually affordable especially for those that frequently eat at restaurants and take-outs. Clients often say they are saving money because they aren’t buying costly take-out and restaurant meals. And they are no longer throwing away groceries purchased with the good intention – but no time to prepare it. Menu planning is probably the toughest for a family because there are time constraints and everyone ends up eating the same thing every week. I come in and revive meals every week.
Chef and owner of Kitchen Companion, I offer a free comprehensive interview to determine food preferences and any dietary requirements. This information is the basis for customized menus that will be prepared in the client’s home. Clients choose what they want to eat and I prepare it. No two clients have the same menus. Some want home-style comfort foods, others want gourmet selections. Low-fat, low-sodium, heart-healthy,weight-loss – each client decides. Also, each client determines the frequency of service. Some clients arrange for an every-other week service, while othersfind a monthly service fits their needs.
On the day of service, I shop and prepare entrees based on my client’s preferred meal plan. Everything is labeled for storage and the kitchen is cleaned. Except for a refrigerator stocked with meals and the delicious aromaof home-cooking, clients don’t even know that I was there. And now I provide meal delivery so you can still have your meals on time when you get home.
Before starting Kitchen Companion, I was the typical time-starved career person. I loved to cook, but was often too exhausted after a day’s work to even want to cook. I attended The Institute of Culinary Education in Manhattan and decided to make a career change and start my own business. I’m a member of Women, Chefs, and Restaurateurs and has recentlty won a scholarship to cook at Nora Pouillon’s organically certified restaurant in Washington DC this summer.
See my website at www.kitchencompanion.org
