FAQs for the Personal Chef

  • Do I need to have a gourmet kitchen in order to have a Personal Chef?
    No. All you need to have in your kitchen is a working oven and storage space in the freezer. I can provide all of the additional equipment and utensils to complete your menu items.
  • How much food will you prepare on the cook date?
    I will make 5 entrees with 4 servings of each for a total of 20 entrees. Some entrees have side dishes too.
  • How do I know that you will cook food that I like?
    At our initial meeting, I will come to your home to meet you, talk to you about your food likes and dislikes and take a look at your kitchen. I also have a “food questionnaire” that I will fill out with you and then I can reference the questionnaire every time I prepare a menu for you and your family. We will also decide on the date I will cook for you. I will then prepare a menu and email it to you ahead of time. You will have the chance to review the menu and request any changes or give me the go-ahead. If there is something on the menu that you would like to switch, that is not a problem. I am very flexible and have over 700 meal selections to choose from, so finding meals that you will like is usually not a problem.
  • How many nights will the food cover, so I don’t have to cook?
    For a family of 4, the entrees will cover 5 nights of meals. For a working couple, the entrees will cover 2 weeks of dinner meals and for a single person, the menu items will cover 20 dinners. I will package the entrees per your request…either family style or individually.
  • Do you prepare breakfast entrees too?
    Yes. Some of my entrees can be classified as “Breakfast Entrees”. I can make quiches, breakfast casseroles and such...perfect for when you want to take breakfast to work to surprise your co-workers.
  • Can the food be packaged so I can take an entrée to work for lunch?
    Yes. I can package any entrée in a microwavable single serving container. This makes it very easy to take a healthy meal to work and allows you to keep control of your calories. Just let me know and I will package accordingly.
  • What if someone in my family has a specific dietary restriction or food allergy?
    I can accommodate most food allergies and dietary restrictions. Since I cook your meals fresh in your home, I can easily tailor recipes to omit specific ingredients if necessary.
  • Do you bring the groceries?
    Yes. The cost of the service includes all the grocery items. I do the shopping the morning of the cook day and bring everything to your house.
  • My kids are picky eaters. Do you have kid-friendly entrees?
    Yes.I have a large selection of kid-tested entrees. Some favorites are the Italian Spaghetti Bake and the Macaroni and Cheese.
  • How do I reheat the food?
    All of my meals come with complete reheating instructions. Most meals can be reheated in the microwave and some require the oven. On the cook day, I will sometimes leave you a dinner salad that will require no preparation on your part. You can just take it out of the refrigerator, add my homemade dressing and enjoy.
  • Do I have to be home when you come to cook?
    You do not have to be home on the day I come to cook. I will meet with you before the cook date and we can arrange for a way for me to get into your house. You can either give me an extra key or I can use a security or garage keypad to enter. If you would like to be home when I cook, that is not a problem either...however you are comfortable is fine with me.
  • Are you insured?
    Yes.
  • How is the food packaged and do I have to provide the containers?
    I will bring all of the packaging containers with me. I like to use a disposable container that is freezer, microwave and oven safe.
  • I am concerned about the environment. Can you provide reusable containers?
    Yes. If you prefer reusable containers, I can provide them too. I would charge a small set-up fee up front for the cost of the Pyrex, Rubbermaid or similar containers. They would be yours to keep and then every time I come to your house, I will reuse those containers. This is a great way to “Go Green” and help save the environment.
  • How frequently will you come to cook at my house?
    You and I will set the cook dates and you will tell me when you need more food.
  • When you prepare a recipe I really like, can I get the entree each week?
    Absolutely! When you find an entrée that you love, I would be happy to prepare it for you over and over and over again. My goal is to give you healthy delicious meals, so if you want the same menu each week, that is fine with me.
  • I am not an adventurous eater. Can you introduce me to some new foods?
    Yes. I would love to introduce you to some healthy foods like quinoa, fresh fish and perhaps a new vegetable topped with a fresh salsa or herb vinaigrette. The sky is the limit on food selections and many of my clients are pleasantly surprised when they try polenta, a vegetable strata or broccoflower for the first time.
  • Do you do dinner parties?
    Yes. I can do a sit down dinner for 8 people and hors d'ouevres for 50 people. I can create the menu and then I offer two types of service: a. I prepare the food before the party and you reheat and serve b. I prepare the food and stay for the duration of the party to plate and replenish the food and also keep the kitchen clean.