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1. What is the difference between a personal chef and a private chef? 2. How does the personal chef service work? 3. Who can use a personal chef? 4. What are the benefits of using a personal chef? 5. How long will you be in my home? 6. Do I have to be there when you come to cook? 7. How often will you come to my house to cook? Do I need to sign a long-term contract? 8. Are the menus the same every cook date? 9. What sort of containers do you use? 10. How much freezer space do I need? 11. What sort of ingredients do you use? 12. Are side dishes included? 13. I have small children. Can you prepare simple foods for them and how much will it cost? 14. Can you prepare special diets? 15. How do I reheat the food? 16. The cost seems to be about what I would pay in a moderately priced restaurant. Why is that? 17. Do I pay you up front? 18. How long will the food last? 19. Is there anything that we need to do prior to your visit?
1. What is the difference between a personal chef and a private chef? A private chef is employed full time by one individual or family and is often living in their home and preparing up to three meals per day. A personal chef focuses on the weekly dinner meal, serves several clients, usually one per day, and provides multiple meals that are custom designed for the clients' particular requests and dietary requirements. These meals are packaged and stored so that the clients may enjoy them at their leisure. 2. How does the personal chef service work? First, I will meet with you to determine your food likes, dislikes, preferences, allergies, etc. and customize a menu specifically for you. (Don't like mushrooms? Then you won't ever have any meals containing mushrooms). Once I've designed a menu for you, I will submit it for your approval to make sure it's okay. On the agreed upon cook date, I will come to your home with all of my pots, pans, utensils, and groceries and prepare your personalized menu. Then, I'll leave simple re-heating instructions. Finally, I will leave your kitchen spotless - and full of the wonderful aromas of homemade food. 3. Who can use a personal chef? The Dinner Is Solved! personal chef service is for anyone who does not have the time, interest or skills to plan, shop for, and prepare daily meals. A typical client is someone who is tired of fast food or dining out and wants to enjoy healthy, nutritious meals in the comfort of their own home. Such as:
4. What are the benefits of using a personal chef? A personal chef can offer a number of benefits such as:
As a matter of fact, it's hard to come up with any disadvantages. 5. How long will you be in my home? I prepare several different main meals and side dishes from scratch, so it takes several hours, generally 5-7. 6. Do I have to be there when you come to cook? No, as long as appropriate arrangements are made in advance. 7. How often will you come to my house to cook? Do I need to sign a long-term contract? It's entirely up to you. My standard plan provides enough dinners for 10 days and enough variety so you won't have to eat the same thing twice in the same week. Most clients have me come out twice a month, others once a month, and some only occasionally. Other personal chefs may require you to sign a long-term contract - I only do that if you want to guarantee our service on particular days over a certain period of time. 8. Are the menus the same every cook date? No, you will receive a new menu prior to every cook date. 9. What sort of containers do you use? I use dual-ovenable disposable containers (suitable for conventional or microwave heating) in various sizes depending on how you want your meals set up. Containers are a uniform size to maximize storage space in your freezer. 10. How much freezer space do I need? It depends on the number of meals you request to be frozen vs. refrigerated, and the sizes of the containers. Meals for 10 days for two people generally require about 2 cubic feet of freezer space. 11. What sort of ingredients do you use? Only the freshest seafood, vegetables, herbs, dairy products and quality cuts of meats are utilized. Yes, one side dish per entrée is included unless the entrée already has a starch or vegetable included, such as pasta dishes. I can offer suggestions for side dishes that complement the entrée you have chosen, however, the final selection is always yours. 13. I have small children. Can you prepare simple foods for them and how much will it cost? I do not have a separate menu for children, but am glad to prepare special kids' meals at your request. Pricing depends upon your needs. 14. Can you prepare special diets? Yes! Vegetarian, vegan, low fat, low cholesterol, low carbohydrate, diabetic, kosher, etc. - you tell me your requirements, and I will prepare a delicious menu. I can even provide a nutritional analysis of each meal at your request. Any meals that have been stored for you in your freezer should be defrosted in your refrigerator overnight, to be enjoyed at the peak of their flavor. I always leave you with easy to follow reheating instructions for each meal. The use of a conventional oven best preserves the quality of your meals, but most meals can be re-heated in a microwave oven within a matter of minutes. 16. The cost seems to be about what I would pay in a moderately priced restaurant. Why is that? My prices represent all of the components that make up a professional personal chef service. For example, the assessment process that I complete to determine your likes and needs is used to customize your personalized menus. I modify all of my recipes to reflect your wants and needs; menus are submitted for your approval; I shop for your ingredients in delicatessens, Chinese supermarkets, farm shops, specialty vegetable, fish and meat shops to ensure you get the highest quality ingredients; and your meals are all prepared in the safety of your own kitchen. Packaging, labeling and reheating instructions for your meals are all features included in this price. If you were to compare a personal chef service to restaurant service, you could think of it this way... For a restaurant, you must drive or take a taxi to get there, possibly wait for a table, take a chance that your server is having a good day, and if you have special dietary requests, you don't always have the guarantee that they will be honored, since most meals are assembly line ready in the kitchen. (My food is made from scratch from the highest quality ingredients.) After eating your restaurant meal, you must pay for it, tip the server, and get back in your vehicle to drive home. Yes, it is customary to pay for the personal chef service in advance to reserve your cooking date. 18. How long will the food last? Depending on how many Dinner Is Solved! meals you eat each day, I can help you determine approximately how long your meals will last. If you travel for business or entertain in restaurants during the week or just enjoy eating out on occasion, the meals will take you further than if you eat one or two each day. After the initial assessment I will be able to give you a better idea. In terms of the shelf life of meals, each meal will last from 5-7 days in the refrigerator (fish and seafood will last up to 3 days). If you want to keep them longer, most meals can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. 19. Is there anything that we need to do prior to your visit? Yes, please have kitchen counters clean and free of clutter and leave space in the refrigerator and freezer. |
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