From a Chef’s Point of View

Like many careers in the food service industry, being a personal chef takes a combination of training, attention to detail, and technique to succeed. While there is much in common with being a restaurant chef, personal chefs face many additional challenges when it comes to private dinners and personal meals for families. As a personal chef we handle many behind the scene adjustments and organizational matters such as; menu planning, food prep, food cost, and customer relations, in addition to the quality of the food and the organization process.

Menu Planning

Even at the most basic level of planning a menu we keep a lot of things into consideration. Is the produce seasonal, if so how can we use it in a memorable way? Do the seasonal ingredients flow nicely with the rest of the menu? Once we tackle the premeditated questions of the produce/ ingredients we also have to keep in thought of clientele and type of dinner we will be cooking for. The pre-planning is a necessary measure for a successful dinner party.

Food Prep

Depending on the type of dinner/ party we need all hands on deck! Even if it’s just prepping ideas, all are welcome in this process. Communication is key to keep organized as there are a lot of courses and additions to the menu to remember. Most likely everyone on staff is accountable for the parts and pieces to bring together the entire dinner. With food prep we also keep track of the type of dishware, silverware, physical menus, place settings, and wine / specialty drinks.

Attention to detail

As a personal chef we are also in charge of décor, table arrangements and food presentation. Setting up, cooking, running and clearing the dining room all a part of the process. Creating a great first impression to our client and all of their guests is what we strive for.

Flexibility & Creativity

Recipes may need to be adjusted to cope with food allergies, and cooking methods may have to be altered to conform to religious and or dietary requirements or personal preferences. Having an imaginative and adaptable chef team allows us to achieve a well-balanced dinner party event in these situations, and instill complete confidence in our clientele.

Leadership?

As a team we all wear many hats when it comes to leadership roles within a private dinner or event. One must be accountable for the supplies, food ordering, on-site cooking at the home or event, and much more. The beauty of having a well diverse team allows others to strive and grow where their natural leadership thrives. strive and grow where their natural leadership thrives.

Fall Dinner Party Season

The Fall Dinner Party Season is upon us and Atlanta Personal Chef Service it is just getting started. Have you booked your Dinner Party yet? The fall is short and we are getting booked fast. Go to our contact page and contact us today. If you have never experienced our service, this fall is a great time experience by booking a dinner party today. Go to our facebook page and take look at some of our Dinner Party pictures. The demand in Atlanta is high and our clients are taking advantage of this great time of the year to book a Dinner Party. Gives us a call today!   

Being a Personal Chef- The feedback

Here at Atlanta Personal Chef Service we like to make communication as easy as possible.  Our clients have a variety of ways to get in touch with us including phone calls, text, e-mail, in person, or via their personal menu notebook, which is always in the kitchen.  If we have a client that isn't happy with a meal for any reason, we need to be able to correct the problem and learn how we could have made the dish differently so that would have enjoyed it.  Communication is key for the happiness of both the client and chef.

My preferred method of feedback is the notebook. That is because the majority of the time, I
don’t see my clients. Talking face to face is great because you get to see the big smile you put on someone's face for the meal you prepared for them.  In this notebook, the chefs write for the family what meal they will be having for the evening. If the family likes the meal, they can simply just say one word: "AWESOME," "GREAT," "LOVED IT!" or in certain cases, "NOT OUR FAVORITE." They can even just use a star rating: one to five stars.  The notebook is great because if I want to repeat a meal, I can refer back to the notebook to see the likes or dislikes of the meal. For instance, I  made a meal that had a spicy aioli sauce. I love spicy food, so my taste buds couldn’t really tell there was any heat to the sauce. Using the notebook, my client informed me that they had tasted the sauce in advance and found it was way too spicy for them. Luckily, I was able to correct the problem by make a different batch of the aioli. The next week, the feedback in the notebook stated that the sauce was just right for them. I was happy, and most importantly, the client was happy. This was very helpful for me and any feedback is better than no feedback. Our clients just have to know that leaving a "negative comment" or letting us know they didn’t like something isn't disrespectful and doesn't hurt our feelings, it is actually essential to making great food that each family enjoys.

Our job as a personal chef is to deliver PERSONALIZED SERVICE! Everyone's taste buds are not the same. We need our clients just as much as they need us, so that we can create meals for them to their personal preference.

Interested in experiencing our Personal Chef Service?  Give us a call at 404-913-4633 or visit our website here.

Gena's Client Notebook and Feedback

Summer with Atlanta Personal Chef Service

Summer is approaching and Atlanta Personal Chef Service is ready for it! Throughout the summer we will be running dinner party specials and weekly service specials.  In the summer, we will be implementing a new booking system. Clients will soon be able to book a chef without having to call us. This system will allow the client to see if the chef is available, book him/her and pay all online. Also, we are very excited for the dinner party summer menu that we will soon put in our blog.

If you are wondering of whether or not to hire a personal chef, in the summer will be great time to try us out! Here at Atlanta Personal Chef Service, we cook great healthy meals. At a recent article from Nutrition Action Magazine, Susan Roberts stated that  “… Restaurant is a toxic environment. The portion sizes and the calories are excessive.”Atlanta Personal Cher Service is here to help stay healthy by cooking great weekly meals at the right portion sizes. Every day, we are cooking for families all around the Atlanta area and surrounding cities. Check our review, ask our clients, try us out and you will see what Atlanta Personal Chef Service is all about.  

The heath factor about eating at home

Busy life, high demand at work, meetings, family time, house work, all seem like endless tasks that keep piling up on our to do lists. People these days are just too busy to worry about food. Research shows that the majority of Americans depend on restaurants for lunch and a few eat every day with their families at home. The tendency of Americans eating out keeps increasing every year. Here is where the problem is. Most people think that restaurants, fast food in particular, are very unhealthy and they are right. However, they also believe that eating at sit down restaurants is a healthier choice and that's just not true.  Restaurant food these days have great amounts of sodium and are very high in calories.

Here are a few examples for some popular restaurants. Keep in mind that the healthy amount of sodium per day is 2300 mg and people should eat around 2,000 to 2,500 calories per day :

 

PF Changs:

Mongolian Beef: 2700 mg of Sodium, 720 Calories

Pad Thai Chicken 3720 mg of Sodium, 1160 Calories

Lemon Grass Chicken Salad: 780 mg of Sodium, 590 Calories

 

Season’s 52:

Alaskan Salmon: 1130 mg of Sodium, 470 Calories

Scallops:1870 mg of Sodium, 470 Calories

 

Even a place like Season's 52, which is known for low calorie food, have large amounts of sodium in their food. Eating out, most of the time, is eating unhealthy. That’s a fact and it’s ok to treat ourselves with some of these foods once in a while, but eating them on a Monday through Friday basis may just kill you sooner than you think.
 

Eating at home is the best (and arguably only practical) option to keep healthy. You control what you buy and you control what you eat. What if you, like most people, just don’t have the time? Then we're here to help.  Atlanta Personal Chef Service is here to help you maintain your health by cooking healthy delicious meals. Give us a try. We will do the grocery shopping for you, cook, clean and even serve the food if you'd like.  We've been cooking for families for over three years. We have the experience. We cook daily meals for families in Buckhead, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Marietta, Atlanta, Decatur, and other cities surrounding the Atlanta area. We do weekly meals chef service, dinner parties, cooking lessons, brunches, breakfast, cocktail parties and more. Find out more about us by visiting our website.

Valentine’s Day with Atlanta Personal Chef Service

What are your plans for Valentine’s Day? How about a romantic evening in the comfort of your own home, while a talented chef pampers you with an elegant dinner over candle light? Valentine’s Day is still over a month away and we only have a few spot left. This year we put together two different menus, but you can mix and match between them. Don’t procrastinate this year and do it right with Atlanta Personal Chef Service.  Visit our webpage to view more information about Valentine's Day 2015 with the best team of chefs in town.

 

"His and Hers"

Duo of Tomato Bisque and Cream of Asparagus Soup garnished with a Parmesan crisp and Asparagus tips

Spinach and warm Brie salad with Apples and Walnuts tossed in Champagne Vinaigrette served with a Buttered Crostini

Marinated Hanger Steak and Herb Crusted Lamb Chop with Cabernet sauce over roasted Parmesan potatoes and sautéed Asparagus tips

Mousse au Chocolate over Chocolate Chiffon cake garnished with Crème Anglaise and fresh Raspberries



"Land and Sea"


Caramelized Onion and Cana de Cabra Cheese tartlet garnished with Lemon infused Arugula and Balsamic glaze

Red Wine poached Pear salad garnished with Stilton cheese and a Cranberry Crouton
 

Rosemary crusted Pork Tenderloin and seared Scallops with Cherry demi sauce over roasted Root Vegetable pureé and braised Brussels sprouts

Strawberry Shortcake with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream garnished with Strawberry coulis and Chantilly Cream