Crème Brûlée for Dinner Party Dessert

Want a sure-fire (no pun intended) way to impress your dinner party guests?  Finish off the evening with a creamy Crème Brûlée.  This traditionally French dessert is both playful and elegant.  While the simple combination of cream, eggs, vanilla, and sugar don't sound like much, when mixed in the correct proportions, it is truly a delight.  When Atlanta Personal Chef Service serves up Crème Brûlée, its more than just a dessert; its entertainment as well.  We'll torch the desserts for all to see, creating that perfectly crispy, crunchy, sugary crust right in front of your eyes.  The final touch, fresh fruit and berries, make it a truly elegant, tasteful way to finish off an evening.  Pictured here above, you will see a dessert duo:  Crème Brûlée served along side Chocolate Bread Pudding and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.  With chocolate and fruit for dessert, nobody will leave without their sweet-tooth satisfied.  See more pictures of dinner party delights cooked by Atlanta Personal Chef Service's chefs here.  

Giving Back One Meal at a Time

Atlanta Personal Chef Service would like to thank James and his family for choosing Atlanta Personal Chef Service to host the dinner party to celebrate his birthday. Because we cooked for ten of his friends and family that night, we’ll be making a donation of ten meals to be served at the Atlanta Union Mission. The Atlanta Union Mission is a local non-profit that serves over 950 meals each day to those in need in the Atlanta area. They also provide needed services to help adults and children get back on their feet. While not every can afford the luxury of having an in-home chef, everyone does deserve healthy and nutritious food. So, go ahead and invite a few extra guests to your next dinner party, knowing that you’ll also be providing a few extra meals for those less fortunate. Learn a little more about the Atlanta Mission and why we’re supporting it here.

Party Time!

There are many specials occasions to celebrate, from birthdays, to anniversaries, to graduations, and more. And no celebration is complete without quality food shared among friends and family. Recently, we helped James from Dunwoody celebrate his birthday with family and friends. The menu presented below helped him ring in another year with style and flavor.

Warm Arugula and Raclette Cheese Salad with White Balsamic Vinaigrette 

Duo of Beef Tenderloin and Georgia Shrimp with Roasted Asparagus and Potato Gratin 

Sides of Cream of Corn and Seared Zucchini 

Duo of Crème Brûlée with Fresh Berries and Chocolate Bread Pudding with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream 

Atlanta Personal Chef Service and their team of personal chefs are busy cooking for families and friends across Atlanta. We do all our cooking in-home, so you can open your favorite bottle of wine and relax at home while the food, quite literally, comes to you. Remember, our in-home chefs do all the planning, shopping, cooking, serving, and cleaning, so you don’t have anything left to do but eat and enjoy. For more information on our dinner party services, contact us here.

Why Atlanta Personal Chef Service loves Asparagus

If you hire an in home chef, you’ll expect both healthy and tasty meals cooked on a regular basis. But, you are probably also going to expect a nice variety of meals that offer new and interesting tastes, balanced over a healthy diet. Because asparagus has a delicate flavor, is nutritionally rich, and lends itself to many methods of preparation, Atlanta Personal Chefs love to cook this vegetable for their clients.

Asparagus comes in four main varieties: green, purple, white, or wild. Green asparagus is the most commonly served asparagus in the US, and can be found in grocery stores year round. Keep in mind, however, that the asparagus season runs from February to June, with April and May being the peak of the season. It is best to eat asparagus grown and picked during these months as you are most likely to have a great tasting, fresh stalk to enjoy. White asparagus (which is the same as green except that it is grown without exposure to sunlight), is more common in Europe.

Like most green vegetables, asparagus is a healthy food choice. It is a low-calorie, low-sodium vegetable packed with folic acid, potassium, fiber, thiamin, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin C. Each spear contains only a mere 4 calories! Since fruits and vegetables should make up nearly 50% of your diet, asparagus offers plenty of reasons to make a frequent appearance in your diet.

While some people prefer to eat asparagus roasted as a side dish, it also makes a great salad ingredient (usually blanched and chilled first), or a great base for a creamy soup. Asparagus is often served with olive oil, butter, or Hollandaise sauce, but the options don’t stop there. A personal favorite of mine is asparagus with olive oil, parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper.

If you’ve heard the rumor that asparagus causes a strange odor to appear in urine, well, that is true. But don’t worry, it’s estimated that only less than 20% of the population actually has the gene needed to detect the strange smell. So enjoy as much asparagus as you’d like, knowing it’s a smart addition to a healthy diet.

Apricot Chicken Recipe

Looking for a new spin on roasted chicken?  Try out Atlanta Personal Chef Service's favorite variation of apricot chicken.  It's sweet and tender, and sure to be a crowd pleaser.  Atlanta Personal Chef Service cooks delicious meals, with main courses such as this one, in the private homes across Atlanta.  We encourage others to try out some of our recipes as well.  And for those who don't enjoy to do the cooking, shopping, cleaning, or meal planning themselves, just give us a call to see how we can assist.  Below, you'll find Chef Patricia's recipe for Apricot Chicken.

Ingredients:

· 1 whole chicken
· Salt and Pepper
· Oil for brushing
· Apricot Glaze (see below)

Ingredients for the Apricot Glaze:

· ½ cup apricot preservatives or jam
· 2 tablespoons of Honey
· 1 tablespoon of Lemon Juice
· 1 teaspoon of Dijon Mustard
· 1 tablespoon of chopped thyme (fresh)
· Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

· Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (If you have a convection oven turn on the convection option)
· Wash the chicken inside and out and pat it dry with paper towel
· Brush the chicken all around with olive oil and season it with salt and pepper to taste
· Place the chicken in a roasting pan and put it in the oven
· Let the chicken brown on the outside. It will take approximately 25 minutes
· Mix all the ingredients for the glaze with a whisk
· After it has browned, remove the chicken from the oven and brush half of the glaze around the chicken, than put it back in the oven for another 10 minutes
· Take the chicken out of the oven again and brush the leftover glaze on the chicken and return the chicken to the oven for another 10 minutes or until the glaze starts to caramelize
· Turn the oven down to 350 degrees take the chicken out of the oven and cover it with aluminum foil, making sure all sides are sealed
· Let the chicken finish cooking. (This should take another 30 minutes, but check for doneness.)
· Pour the juice from the roasting pan on top of the chicken and serve.