Behind the Scenes of a Dinner Party with Atlanta Personal Chef Service

So, while you are enjoying your company and the great food being prepared, what’s taking place in the kitchen to make it all happen?  See below for a sneak peak!

Chef Patricia starts sauteeing the root vegetables

Chef Patricia and Chef David making Butternut Squash soup

Toasted Baguettes ready for the Cheese Board

Atlanta Personal Chef Service Chef David makes sure the temperature is just right

Chef David prepares the Goat Cheese Tarts

Chef Patricia and Chef David plate the main course

 

Chef Patricia tops of the Chocolate Lava Cakes with Creme Anglaise

 

Our chefs will arrive about 2-3 hours before serving time to make all the courses of your meal, typically consisting of a soup, salad, entrée, and dessert.  Basically, we’re bringing the restaurant to your home, so you can enjoy your time with your guests.  We’ll set the table, pour the drinks, bring out each course, and clear the plates.  When we leave, the trash is already taken out and the dishes are clean and put away.  We making hosting parties so easy, you won’t have to deal with restaurant crowds again!

Each course is shown below:

Atlanta Personal Chef Service Goat Cheese Tart with Roasted Tomatoes, Caramelized Onions, and Arugula

 

Atlanta Personal Chef Service Butternut Squash Soup with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds and Nutmeg Cream

Atlanta Personal Chef Service American style Wedge Salad with Apple Smoked Bacon and Blue Cheese

Atlanta Personal Chef Service Filet Mignon with Cabernet Sauce over roasted Root Vegetables and Asparagus

Atlanta Personal Chef Service Chocolate Lava Cake with Creme Anglaise, Fresh Berries, and Vanialla Bean Ice Cream

Interested in having Atlanta Personal Chef Service host your next dinner party?  See our Services page here or call us at 404-913-4633.  We look forward to hearing from you!

What's cooking at Atlanta Personal Chef Service?

This week will be another busy week for Atlanta Personal Chef Service!  Among many of the fine dishes that our personal chefs will be cooking this week for our clients are these two-course meals:

 Baked Brie with Orange Marmalade

Seared Seabass with Edamame, Succotash, and Butternut Squash Puree

 

Veggy Slaw with Lemon Vinaigrette

Grilled Pork Loin with Chimichurri Sauce, Potato Hash and sauteed Yellow Squash

 

Grilled Corn Salad

BBQ grilled Salmon with Sweet Potato Puree and Roasted Asparragus

 

Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese 

Cilantro-Lime Marinated Flank steak with Brown rice and Caramalized "Burned" Broccoli

 

Caesar Salad with fresh Croutons

Homemade Turkey Meatballs with Tomato Sauce, Linguini Pasta and sauteed Snow Peas

 

Each family has one chef paired to cook their dinners during the work week.  Personal Chefs go grocery shopping each day, arriving to our clients homes with the freshest produce, seafood, and ingredients available.  With a chef in your home, that means no menu planning, shopping, cooking, or clean up!  Just time with the family at the dinner table, and the enjoyment of home-cooked food.  Oh, and of course a kitchen filled with the aroma of home cooking.  For more information about our services, click here.



Executive Business Dinners - The New Way of Business Entertaining

Atlanta Personal Chef Service preparing Seared Scallop Appetizer

A new spin has emerged in the realm of business entertaining--invite guests into your home for a personalized meal. A dinner hosted in your home is a sincere way to show your hospitality, and exudes confidence as well.

“But I’m not a great cook--and I don’t really want to cook either.”

That’s where companies like female-owned Atlanta Personal Chef Service fill the gap. They specialize in business dinner parties, and allow the business to take place over a menu of sophisticated food served with perfect timing to create an environment suitable for the dinner’s agenda.

The chef team may have drafted a sous-chef, serving help, or even a professional sommelier. The sommelier, which only some folks opt to have, can present and explain wines as they are paired with courses. A server ensures that all glasses are filled, plates are cleared, and warm food is served without anyone needing to leave the table. Its just like a fine dining restaurant, except you don’t need to worry about spotty service.

Personal assistants and event planners are turning more and more to personal chefs to provide a unique and personal touch on business entertaining. Even the fanciest of restaurants can be

loud, crowded, and lacking in privacy for any confidential business discussions that may need to take place. Personal chefs can provide more a personal touch to an event, with customized coursed menus and the wonderful aroma of the food cooking the home kitchen. With groups with fine tastes in liquors, a personal chef can even be a cheaper option, as the beverage mark up in a restaurant can be outlandish.

“We will recommend wine pairings, but our clients purchase their own alcohol. Most clients prefer this, since they don’t have to pay restaurant prices, yet still have their drinks served to them,” Chef Patricia of Atlanta Personal Chef Service explains.

Atlanta Personal Chef Service makes hosting a dinner party easy. They will suggest menu options, that you can then customize or tweak to your preferences. The chef will come to view your kitchen prior to the event, to make sure to bring any missing equipment that will be needed. On the day of the event, the chef will do all the grocery shopping and arrive about 3-4 hours before the scheduled dinner time. You’ll be served an appetizer or hors d’oeuvres while your guests arrive and mingle, followed by a salad, entree, and dessert.

“The best part of serving a meal is hearing the guests reactions. Just last weekend, I heard a client say, ‘Now I’ve had plenty of great halibut in my day, but this is by far the tastiest.’ When you hear comments like that, it motivates you to keep cooking bold food with high-quality ingredients,” Patricia recalls.

If you are searching for a class way to receive important guests in your home, consider hiring a personal chef team. Contact us today to learn more about how it works.

Atlanta Personal Chef Service Welcomes Chef Mayhayla to the Team!

We are excited to introduce our newest Chef, Mayhayla, to the team.  She’s been cooking in Atlanta for over 9 years, and now she’s joining our team as a personal chef, cooking dinners during the work-week for our clients around the city.  Read more about Mayhayla below: 

From a young age, Mayhayla had a passion for cooking. Growing up, she would often cook dinner for her family and test out new recipes on them. She knew she wanted to be a chef from childhood.

Mayhayla graduated in 2005 from the Art Institute of Atlanta with an Associate degree in the culinary arts. The Associate Degree program covers skills such as knife handling, food safety and sanitation, international cuisines, nutrition, and food industry management. While receiving basic overall culinary training and cooking techniques, Mayhayla completed her degree with a focus in Nutrition.

Mayhayla launched her culinary career at the Westin Atlanta Hotel full-service restaurant Palio. While there, she gained experience in sautéing, grilling, pastries, and banquet parties. She later left the kitchen to become a shift manager in the front of the house. She loved the customer service side of the business and was good at it too.

In 2009, Mayhayla become the general manager at Boneheads in the Peachtree Battle Shopping Center, where she worked with ordering and receiving product, profit and loss, marketing, and advertising. Mayhayla’s responsibilities included overseeing the chefs and training new chefs as they joined the team.

With Mayhayla’s passion for food, culinary knowledge, chef experience, and food industry management experience, she has the unique set of skills it takes to be a great personal chef. She loves to prepare fresh salads with homemade dressings, grilling of any kind, and preparing wild game.

In her free time she loves gardening, canning, pickling and reading.

Read more about our team at Atlanta Personal Chef Service here!

Hire a Personal Chef to bring your Family Back to the Dinner Table

The summer months are just about over, that is if you have school aged children. The kids are getting ready to go back to school and that means even busier schedules, more transporting the kids around, and typically a heavier workload in the office. How do families these days find time to enjoy healthy meals together at the dinner table? Personal Chefs.

More and more families are depending on personal chefs to provide healthy, family meals one to seven nights of the week. With a personal chef, you don't need to worry about planning menus, going grocery shopping, following recipes, or cleaning your kitchen. All you need to do is show up, and enjoy the food, which is cooked in your own home.

There are a few different types of personal chef services, most notably the "fresh cooking" and the "freeze-and-go" styles. Atlanta Personal Chef Service cooks fresh, visiting clients homes every day the family plans to eat at home together. They start the day picking the freshest ingredients and then cook the food to be enjoyed that evening. "Freeze-and-go" personal chefs will visit a clients home less frequently, and one day may make up to five different entrees, which they will freeze for their clients later consumption. While this is typically the cheaper option, unfortunately the food isn't as tasty nor can it deliver the nutritional quality of fresh meals.

If you're worried that your family will be strapped for time this fall, and you're looking for a practical solution to bring your family together for home-cooked dinner every night, look no further than Atlanta Personal Chef Service. We have a team of professional personal chefs, who each hold a degree in the culinary arts and years of cooking experience, who can help bring your families back to the dinner table. Please contact us if you have any questions!

A Unique Surprise Gift Idea

Here's a great idea for a surprise birthday, anniversary, holiday, or "just because I love you" gift.  Hire a personal chef to cook a romantic dinner-for-two in your own home.  Both men and women always struggle to come up with meaningful, yet out-of-the-ordinary, personalized gift for that special someone.  Here's why a dinner-for-two for in your home makes such a great gift:

• Personalization: All of our menus are customizeable, so you can special order his/her favorite dish, even as silly as it may be. Want to please a mac-n-cheese lover? Let us cook our homemade version, with high quality cheeses and other ingredients, served hot right out of the oven. Whatever the preference, we can handle it.

• Authenticity: While planning a dinner with us is easy, its not as easy as picking up a gift card from a department store. We'll need to talk details (at least enough to plan the menu and schedule the event itself). This shows your special someone you're willing to put in time and effort for them to create a truly special gift.

• Food Warms the Heart: Sharing meals is a timeless tradition, which also builds intimacy and relationship. Sharing a meal is a great way to connect with another person, and is always reserved for those who are deemed an important and esteemed companion.

 

• Homemade Touch: Our service includes special table decorations to make your dining table look beautiful and dressed-up for the special event. We'll also print your customized menu, and put a unique name for the event on the top of the menu. It can be as creative as you wish, or as simple and honest as "Because I love you, ____" (fill in the name of that special someone). Personalized gifts don't come much better than this. 

Hiring a personal chef to cook dinner in your home is also a unique idea for an engagement proposal. You can coordinate with your chef the timing of the meal, the delivery of the ring (should you want it delivered in a creative way), or any other aspect of the evening. Plus, you won't have to deal with the crowds, lines, or curious on-lookers once you pop the big question.

 

Any questions about our personal chef service? Please, contact us today! Also, keep in mind that if you'd like to leave the menu planning up to that special someone, you can also purchase an Atlanta Personal Chef Service gift certificate, and let him or her have a say in the final details.

 

 

 

Açaí--is it worth the hype?

If you haven’t heard of açaí (pronounced ah-sigh-EE), the superfood which comes from the açaí palm, a tree native to the Amazonian rainforest, you certainly haven’t been keeping up on the latest trends in food. This deeply rich purple colored, grape-like fruit is high in antioxidants, vitamin C, and boasts many super power properties such as helping weight loss, arthritis, cancer, cholesterol levels, fight aging, and cardiovascular and digestive health.

Açaí is also rich in fiber, amino acids, and healthy fats, and chocked full of nutrients following the rule of other deeply colored fruits and vegetables--the richer the color, the more nutrients inside (think kale and blueberries, for example) The berry is also touted for its energy boosting abilities, making it a great pick-me-up snack for mid-afternoon.

Acai na Tigela served with banana, granola, honey, and of course, two spoons!

On my recent travels through Brazil, açaí was nearly everywhere, most commonly in a sorbet-like manner served “na tigela” (in a bowl) with sliced banana and granola, or as a juice. A picture of a typical “açaí na tigela” is to the right. What a delicious and tasty snack! I rarely saw a day go by on vacation without a sweet indulgence of açaí.

Like many other tasty fresh fruits, açaí is high in sugar, and for this reason should be consumed within moderation. This is a general rule of thumb that Atlanta Personal Chef Service advises their clients--enjoy all foods but in moderation. Açaí can certainly be incorporated into a healthy diet, but don’t be fooled for a minute thinking its going to add 10 years to your life or make your wrinkles disappear.

If you want to purchase açaí in Atlanta, it is becoming readily available in juice form in most large grocery stores. The juice is typically blended with other fruit juices, but also available as just açaí for a little bit more. You can also find the frozen pulp (which is great for mixing into smoothies) or taste the typical “açaí na tigela” pictured here in Brazilian grocery stores or eateries in the Marietta area.

If you ask me, “Yes, its worth the hype!” I you haven’t tried açaí yet, treat yourself one day.

How and Where to Buy Fresh Fish in Atlanta

As personal chefs here in Atlanta, we’re cooking fish on a weekly basis--if not more frequently. Its uber-important that we serve fresh and tasty fish to our clients. If you’re going to pay more for fish, make sure you get a great tasting fish by following these simple tips for purchasing fish.

First, only buy fish from a store that sells a high-volume of fish, thus helping to ensure that no fish stays on their shelves longer than a day or two maximum. When you approach the fish counter, it should, in no instance, smell like a briny waterfront. We recommend purchasing fish at Whole Foods, which has various locations around Atlanta. There are plenty of other suitable stores in the area as well, just make sure they are receiving fresh shipments daily.

When selecting the actual fish, it too should have no discernible fishy odor. Second, take a look at the eyes. If the eyes are cloudy looking, the fish has been sitting too long and should not be purchased. Make sure the skin of the fish looks bright and shiny--it should look a bit metallic. If the skin has lost its luster, don’t purchase it. Lastly, look for red gills, and move away from any fish with dark red or reddish brown gills, which indicates an old fish.

When selecting a fillet the fish should be moist, with a watery coating, but nothing that looks white or milky. This is a signal to steer clear. Also, touch the fillet to test for firmness and resilience. Your fingerprint should disappear on a good fillet. Of course, your fillet shouldn’t smell weird or fishy either.

Atlanta Personal Chef Service cooks fish frequently for both weekday meals and for dinner parties. Since we have a working relationship with the area Whole Foods, we always order our seafood in advance to ensure fresh fish, and enough of it. We special order the best cuts of the fish for fillets, so our servings are uniform, will cook evenly, and will look beautiful on the plate. You can easily pay well over $20 per pound for fresh fish, so make sure you know how to pick what will be the tastiest and freshest option. Fish is so versatile and so tasty, we hope this article provides you with the guidance you need to enjoy that fresh fish fillet!
Pictured below is seared halibut in a beurre blanc sauce served over homemade ravioli, which was served at a recent dinner party. For more information on our dinner party or weekly meal services, click here.

Seared Halibut served over Haricot Verts and Shrimp Ravioli

Atlanta’s Dinner Party Chefs at Work

Bar with Cheese Board prepared by Atlanta Personal Chef Service 

Personal Chef Patricia preparing dinner party salads

Atlanta Personal Chef Service plating risotto to be served with seared halibut

Dinner Party desserts ready to be served to guests

Atlanta Personal Chef Service chefs at a recent dinner party

Wondering what it’s like to hire a personal chef to cook for a dinner party in your home? If you’re considering hiring a chef to come into your kitchen, it would be good to understand what to expect and to know what you need to do to prepare. I've attached plenty of action shots to this post so you have a sneak peak at the behind-the-scenes preparation that goes on to make your party a truly special event.

At Atlanta Personal Chef Service, we make dinner parties easy on you. All you need to do is select your preferred menu (we’ll offer you suggestions if you prefer), have your serving ware set out, and purchase your favorite wine or beverages of choice.

Our Chef (or team of chefs for larger parties) will arrive about 3 hours before your scheduled meal time. We’ll be bringing much of our own gear with us (a cooler with the groceries needed to cook your selected menu), any additional pots, pans, or special cooking utensils needed, personalized menus, and table decorations. The chef team will then set the table, set up a bar (if you will be serving beverages) with hors d’oeurves or a cheese platter, and start cooking. It’s your choice whether or not you’d like to be near the kitchen to experience some of the cooking in action, or whether you’d like to relax and entertain your guests in another room. 

Our dinner party guests are served plated courses, just like you would receive your food in an upscale restaurant. Our experienced chefs work speedily to beautifully plate the courses, so that your food is not only tasty and artfully presented, but also served hot. We will then serve the course to you at the table, and clear your plates when you are finished. The dinner will go as quickly or as leisurely as you’d like—we will time the food preparation in the kitchen to be ready to serve the next course when everyone is ready.

Check out more pictures on our website to get a better idea of what its like to hire a dinner party chef for your next party in Atlanta.

What’s cooking this week at Atlanta Personal Chef Service?

At Atlanta Personal Chef Service, we love hosting dinner parties, but we’re also cooking Monday through Friday.  Some of our clients hire us to cook for them every night of the work-week, which frees up their schedules to spend time with their families instead of worrying about dinner.  So, what would be more fitting than to give you a sample menu of what we cook week in and week out?  Below is the actual menu of what we cooked for one of our clients last week.  Maybe it will even give you some ideas of family dinners to try for yourself!  If you’re thinking about hiring a chef to cook dinner, even for a few days out of the week, contact us to see if we might be the personal chef service for you.

Monday

Arugula Salad

Honey Lime Roasted Chicken with Wild Rice Sweet Potato Hash and Zucchini

Tuesday

Seasonal Fresh Fruit Salad

Seared Tilapia with Spaghetti Squash and Roasted Eggplant

Wednesday

Spinach Salad

BBQ Skirt Steak, Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Collard Greens

Thursday

Grilled Ahi Tuna Avocado Salad

Crab cake with Corn Crab Chowder

Friday

Roasted Leg of Lamb, Butternut Squash Purée, Roasted Asparagus

Chocolate Soufflé

Fava Beans – Worth the effort!

The picture above shows grilled red snapper served over a fava bean sauce. So what exactly are fava beans?

Fava beans are fast growing legumes, bright green in color, that grow in pods about 5-8 inches long. They can be purchased fresh in some local grocery stores, but only during a short season in the spring. The beans, which are notorious for being difficult to prepare, offer a rich source of protein and a light, nutty flavor. Fava beans can be prepared into summer salads, sauces, soups, spreads, eaten alone with olive oil, salt and pepper, or many other preparation options.

The tricky thing about the fava bean is that they are a bit labor-intensive to prepare. When buying fresh fava beans, you must first remove the beans from the larger green pod. Each pod holds between 4 to 8 beans, which sit in a spongy white layer. Once the beans are removed from the outer pod, you’ll find they are still in a waxy type of layering, which also will need to be removed before eating. This layer can be removed using fingernails or a knife, or can be quickly steamed for easier removal. Once both outer layers have been removed, the fava beans are ready to be prepared according to your chosen recipe. Sometimes you may find pre-shelled fava beans in grocery stores, but be prepared to pay a bit more for these ones.

Atlanta Personal Chef Service enjoys preparing healthy and tasty foods for our clients, and fava beans are a favorite when they’re in season. Give them a try for yourself!

Mark’s Meatballs and Three Cheese Stuffed Zucchini

Mark's Meatballs and Three Cheese Zucchini

Tonight’s dinner entrée is both beautiful, healthy, and can easily be made gluten-free! These home-made meatballs have been named after Mark, one of our clients, since he requests them so often. Served with the meatballs are three-cheese stuffed zucchini. Preparing these zucchini “wraps” (should you be looking for a special name for them) deliver great taste and vegetables in a unique way. While traditional ravioli would be stuffed with a similar cheese mixture, we’ve replaced the carb laden pasta part with a healthy veggie alternative. And to pull together the entrée, the entire dish is served on a bed of homemade tomato sauce and then drizzled with fresh parsley.

Atlanta Personal Chef Service will help your family return to the dinner table by making tasty, yet healthy, meals like this one pictured for dinners during the week. We take the hassle out of dinner, without having to sacrifice taste or health, by choosing unique, sophisticated menus for our clients, and preparing each meal fresh right in their homes. Want to find out more about our weekly meal service? Read about it on our website here.

Atlanta’s Best Dinner Party Venues

Atlanta Personal Chef Service - Dinner Party Preview

Well, of course choosing Atlanta’s best dinner party venues is extremely subjective, so rather than attempt to hand-select the best venues or even provide a ranking, we’ll take a look at what makes a good dinner party venue, and then provide a list of links to point you in the direction of finding the venue best suited for your party.

First and foremost, you want to think great food. Depending on the occasion, you may choose something as simple as burgers on the grille or barbeque chicken, but whatever the menu calls for, make sure it’s tasty. There are good burgers, and there are “I’d rather pass” ones. You don’t want your guests leaving hungry, or with a bad taste in their mouth. If you can’t cook decent food, certainly choose to outsource the cooking to a restaurant, caterer, or private chef. For the sophisticated palate, there are many, many excellent options for dinner parties.

Second, think service. Will guests be serving themselves, in a buffet-style offering, or do you prefer to have your guests sit at a table and have dinner brought to them? Check with any restaurant, caterer or chef you may be considering hiring to understand what service options they offer. Will they provide ample servers for a party of your size? Again, there’s no right or wrong level of service, only a more preferable level for the occasion and desired formality.

Third, think logistics. One of the biggest dinner party killers is music that’s blaring so loud it’s nearly impossible to hold a conversation. Save the loud music and crowded restaurants for another time. You want your guests to feel relaxed, and be able to carry on conversation easily. If your dinner party will be at a restaurant, look for one with a private room the right size for your party. Also think of logistics such as parking. If there’s no parking nearby (such as in many restaurants in downtown Atlanta or Buckhead), is there a valet? If you’re hosting the party at your house, make sure you offer parking information for your guests.

Here is a link to a list of restaurants in Atlanta that offer special dinner party service. OpenTable is an online service that allows you to make reservations within seconds, but for a more formal occasion, we recommend visiting the restaurant to see the exact space your party will be offered. Additionally, here is a link to a list of restaurants that cater, as well as catering-only services in and near Atlanta. Lastly, don’t forget you can always hire a personal chef to cook and serve your next dinner party right in your own home. Of course, we recommend choosing Atlanta Personal Chef Service (if your party is 16 or fewer), but you can also find a listing of personal chefs in the area by following this link.

Homemade Dinner for Father’s Day Present

Running low on gift ideas on how to surprise your dad this Father’s day? (Father’s Day is June 17 this year, so don’t forget to make your plans!) Well, if you live in the Atlanta area, remember that Atlanta Personal Chef Service sells gift certificates, which would make a great surprise gift for dad. Our gift certificates are redeemable for a three-course meal of your choice, cooked and served right in your own home. You don’t need anything fancy, just a kitchen with the basic appliances. Once you reserve your dinner date, we’ll work with you to create the ideal menu that dad will love. Our chefs do all the grocery shopping, cooking, serving, and cleaning, which means all you have to do is enjoy. Atlanta Personal Chef Service prides itself on an up-scale, sophisticated cuisine, with menus tailored to our clients particular taste preferences. To buy a gift certificate, or reserve a chef to cook a dinner in your home, click here.

Themed Dinner Parties in Atlanta

If you’re going to host a dinner party, you’ll want one type of coherent theme to link all the courses together.  It may be a single main ingredient, or cuisine of a chosen country, or a similar color palette.  For last week’s party, our clients requested an Italian themed menu, so we chose plates which highlighted Italian flavors and ingredients, while offering a tasteful break from the typical idea of “pizza and pasta.”  We typically provide our clients with a few different menu options, which they can then pick and choose particular starters, entrees, and desserts from.  For example, we’ll suggest three different Italian inspired salads, and ask them to pick their favorite.  Since all the options already are within the particular theme, any selections will work well together.  Below is a picture of the chosen menu for a dinner party we hosted last week in Buckhead, Atlanta.

Dinner Party Menu displayed on place setting

For more sample dinner party menus created by Atlanta Personal Chef Service, click here.

How do I find and hire a great personal chef?

Personal chefs are in demand as happy clients tell their friends about the great food and service their in-home chefs provide. They’re enjoying healthy, tasty meals without the stress of meal planning, grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning. Small wonder more and more Atlantans are choosing to outsource their cooking and spend more time with their families.

If you’re reading this, you’re likely exploring the personal chef option. But how do you find a great personal chef—one who’ll cook great food and also have a great working relationship with you and your family. A personal chef may spend many hours per week in your kitchen—your home’s nerve center. So you want to invest thought and effort into finding the right private chef.

Looking for a personal chef is not unlike looking for a good doctor. You’d prefer to have a friend recommend the trusty professional they’ve been using for years. But sometimes you can’t get a good recommendation. More likely, you don’t know anyone who’s already using a personal chef. In that case, the internet is a good place to start looking.

If you search “personal chefs” in Atlanta, you’ll get tons of results. It may be overwhelming at first, but look carefully at the following criteria:

1. Credentials. Anyone can call himself a chef, but if you’re paying someone to cook for you, you want a professional. Make sure the chef has some formal training-- ideally a degree in culinary arts. Professional training ensures mastery not just of cooking skills, but also of safe food handling and storage techniques.

2. Experience. Like anything else, kitchen skills improve with practice. Many chefs start their careers working in restaurants. Some have worked in the fine dining rooms of country clubs or top hotels, which demand excellent service and food presentation.

3. Meals. Read sample menus, and view on-line pictures of the chef’s dishes. Be aware that some websites don’t picture the chef’s own dishes, but use purchased images of someone else’s food or photos of colorful fruits and vegetables. If you’re going to be eating a chef’s food on a regular basis, make sure it looks appetizing and appealing. Also, consider how healthy the meals are. Does the chef use heavy cream-based food, or heavily breaded or fried dishes? Or does the chef focus on balanced meals, full of vegetables and cooked nutritiously?

4. Professionalism. Check whether your chef runs his business in a professional manner, is organized, and can be easily contacted. He or she should carry liability insurance to protect against the rare event of a kitchen fire or other potential problem.

Once you’ve narrowed your list, start calling a few of chefs to see whether they sound like someone you’d enjoy working with. Remember, this chef is going to be coming to your home on a regular basis, so should be friendly, polite and easy to get along with.

When you find a chef who seems promising, hire her to prepare a meal for you and taste the food for yourself. Chefs typically start a new client relationship by taking a food inventory. What are your food preferences, which foods you love, do you have any allergies, how much spice do you prefer, what foods do you avoid? A good chef will continue to learn about your food preferences and tastes as she continues to cook for you.

Finally, make sure you understand the type of service the chef provides. Some chefs come to your home once or twice a month. They prepare and freeze foods to be reheated later, which is also the more economical option. Other chefs will visit your home daily to prepare meals, so you’ll always be eating fresher and tastier meals and won’t be bothered with meal planning, grocery shopping and cleaning.

Hopefully this brief guide helps you to better understand personal chef services. You may even decide to join the growing ranks of Atlantans who have found—and hired—their own personal chef. We’re happy to help you with any questions. Want to share your comments? Please feel free to post them here. Bon appétit!

Deconstructed Salads: An Artful Food Experience

Trends are emerging among fine dining restaurants around the country to serve deconstructed salads (also referred to as decomposed salads). A deconstructed salad is like any other deconstructed dish; one that takes food and flavors that are normally served and eaten together, rearranges them, and serves them in a different manner. Deconstructed salads offer a fresh way to think of that sometimes overly typical array of lettuce, veggies and dressing. A deconstructed salad will oftentimes have different proportions of tastes (less lettuce, for example) and drastically changed appearance. The salad pictured below is a deconstruction of a typical summer salad, yet, it’s far from typical. Indeed, it is a work of art.

Deconstructed Salad

At Atlanta Personal Chef Service, we don’t just focus on serving healthy and tasty food, but we make sure that the food looks great as well.  Deconstructed salads are also a fun way to get the meal started at dinner parties, since the salads look so interesting and spark  conversation.  Visit our Facebook page to see more artful food presentations.

Unique and Personalized Mother’s Day Gift Idea: Atlanta Personal Chef Service Gift Certificate

Do you live in the Atlanta area and need a unique gift idea for that special mother in your life? Don’t forget that Atlanta Personal Chef Service sells printable gift certificates, perfect to show your love and appreciation for all she’s done for you.

We sell gift certificates for a three course in-home dinner for two (or for more people if you prefer), which we will email to you the same day to print out and gift wrap in time for Mother’s Day.

After you purchase your gift certificate, you can contact Atlanta Personal Chef Service to reserve the date for your special meal, and also select a menu for the evening. We have sample menus for you to choose from, or we can design a customized menu to fit your taste preferences. Then, you can just sit back and relax on the day of your dinner, since our chefs will do all the work for you. They’ll do the grocery shopping before coming to your home, arrive a few hours in advance of the meal to cook and prepare everything, set the table, serve your food (clearing the dishes between each course), and clean the kitchen before leaving. Select your favorite bottle of wine, relax, and enjoy the best food in Atlanta from the comfort of your own dining room table.

It’s an evening you’re sure to enjoy. A real Mother’s Day treat! Call us or email us to purchase your gift certificate today.

Sample Gift Certificate

Juicin’ – The Latest Craze

I’ve heard of so many people who’ve taken to juicing in the past few months. I’ve heard of everything from a one day “cleanse” to a 30 day juice-only diet (popularized by the movie “Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead”), from citrus juice only, to anything you can put inside a professional $300 juicer. While fruit juice isn’t bad for you, many people misunderstand the contents of popular “juices” lining the aisles and fridge cases of our common grocery stores.

Juice bottles claim all sorts of things. “Heart-Wise.” “All Natural.” “Energy Boost.” “50% Less Calories.” But the reality is that these are just over-priced, over sugared versions of the true all-natural, low sugar, heart-wise, energy boosting option: water.

Juices that claim energy boosting features use caffeine from coffee beans – so why not drink the coffee itself and cut out the rest of the sugar and calories you’re in-taking with the juice? Juices that claim low calorie or sugar content are usually watered down versions of the original juice, with an artificial sweetener added. So why not drink half a cup of sugar, and half a cup of water instead, leaving out the artificial sweeteners altogether? All Natural claims are often quite misleading. If you pick up a sparkling blackberry drink that claims it is “all natural,” would you expect to see that a majority of the juice is actually that of grape and apple, both inexpensive and not-so-nutritious?

If you’re going to drink juice, then make it count. Fresh is best. Don’t spend an arm and a leg at the grocery store on juices that are full of waters and unwanted additional sweeteners. The best juices, according to a ranking done by Nutrition Action Newsletter, are carrot, orange, tomato, and grapefruit. But even 100% natural juices contain calories and sugar, and most people don’t adjust their food intake to compensate for calories consumed in liquids. For this reason, its recommended to drink about 6 oz of fresh fruit juice per day, and avoid all those over-marketed juice claims in the grocery store.

At Atlanta Personal Chef Service, we always strive to inform our clients about healthy eating habits. Some of our clients do enjoy juicing fresh fruits and vegetables, and we encourage that, and will even assist in buying fresh, seasonal produce and preparing it by washing and cutting. However, many attempted juice diets fail because they result in a high-sugar, high-calorie intake – just the thing you want to avoid when dieting. So instead of dieting, incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables in a healthy way into your normal diet, and if you do choose to juice, do so in moderation. If you’re looking for a personal chef to help you maintain a healthy diet by preparing wholesome and nutritious meals, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

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.

Remarkable Personal Chefs

I recently read Jeff Haden’s article, 8 Qualities of Remarkable Employees, on inc.com, and it really is so applicable to nearly any job or position, across any industry, including the personal/private chef world. As Atlanta Personal Chef Service interviews and hires personal chefs to work in client’s homes, we are looking for chefs with skills that aren’t limited to food preparation expertise, but who also demonstrate the intangible attributes outlined in Haden’s article. To summarize, those traits are as follows: 1. They ignore job descriptions. 2. They’re eccentric. 3. But they know when to dial it back. 4. They publically praise… 5. And they privately complain. 6. They speak when others won’t. 7. They like to prove others wrong. 8. They’re always fiddling.

While all eight outlined characteristics hold merit, I’d like to focus on a few in terms of how they relate to the Personal Chef position we’re hiring for at Atlanta Personal Chef Service. Great personal chefs are both eccentric, and know how to dial it back when appropriate. Eccentric personalities (in a good way) will “shake things up,” “keep work fun,” and add “flair and flavor.” Clearly, our clients want flavorful food, but as a personal chef is a frequent figure in the house cooking regular meals, we’re looking for chefs with pleasant and interesting personalities. At the same time, great personal chefs will know when to “dial it back,” both on the personality and the flavor and flair. Sometimes comfort foods and traditional recipes are the best way to go, and sometimes a more reserved personality is appreciated after a client’s long day at work. Our best employees know when to be playful and when to get down to business, a balance that, for some, can be a challenge to find.

Another trait that Haden emphasizes is that great employees like to prove others wrong. This trait is all about self-motivation. Regardless of what culinary degrees our chefs have, what chef competitions they have won, or which big-name celebrity chefs they have cooked with before, it’s all about drive. The best personal chefs have a deep-instilled desire to not just do the job, but to impress others by proving that their cooking talents far exceed what others might expect.

The desire to prove others wrong leads to the final quality I’d like to touch on, which is that “they’re always fiddling.” Some people are satisfied with completing tasks according to instructions, but great employees are always looking for ways to improve processes, or, in the world of personal chefs, to make recipes, cooking techniques, and presentation of even higher quality. Being a chef requires a mix of technical expertise as well as an artistic flair. Great employees can’t restrain from producing the best possible outcome. Great chefs can’t help but deliver the highest quality food possible.

The “remarkable” qualities outlined above are thought more highly of at Atlanta Personal Chef Service than perhaps, ten years experience as a personal chef. We’re looking to hire not good, but great, chefs in the Atlanta area. For a listing of our current job openings and instructions on how to apply, please click here.

Hosting a Dinner Party in Atlanta

Duo of Lamb Chops and Duck Breast

Are you thinking of hosting a dinner party, and just can’t decide on the perfect menu? Let’s face it, there are so many different tasty dishes that you could serve, but then again, your guests all have various food preferences. Why not consider impressing your guests with more than one main course option? The picture on the left was a meal prepared by Atlanta Personal Chef Service recently, which features both lamb chops and duck breast, served elegantly side by side on the same plate. While all main courses are served with accompanying sides, sometimes one option is simply not enough. Atlanta Personal Chef Service doesn’t prepare meals like this as part of their regular weekly dinner service (unless it’s a special request), but when it comes to hosting dinner parties, we want to ensure that your guests are truly blown away by all aspects of their experience, from the taste of the food, to the presentation, the service, and even the personality of their chef.

At Atlanta Personal Chef Service, we are always coming up with new and unique options to make your dinners, or dinner parties if that is the case, memorable and enjoyable. Can’t decide between beef or seafood? How about a surf and turf duo? How about lobster and filet mignon? What about scallops and NY Strip? In the mood for salmon? Lamb shank? Atlanta Personal Chef Service has some sample dinner party menus displayed here, but we also work to customize the menu for each and every event. Contact us to find out what we can cook for your next dinner party.

Chocolate Challah Bread Pudding Recipe



Chocolate Challah Bread Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream



Atlanta Personal Chef Service will start to post a series of recipes that you can try yourself at home.  We've cooked these for clients, and they're absolute favorites.  The first recipe, posted below, is a recipe by Chef Patricia Homma, who designed this special chocolate treat for clients she regularly cooks for.  While Challah bread pudding has recently gained popularity among the Jewish community as a different spin on a way to break the fast held over the holiday Yom Kippur, this comforting dish is a warm treat for anyone, on any occasion.

Chocolate Challah Bread Pudding - makes 6 individual servings

· 1/2 of a loaf of Challah Bread
· 1/3 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
· 1 cup of heavy cream
· ½ cup of milk
· ¼ cup of condensed milk
· ¼ cup of walnuts chopped
· 1 whole egg

Preparation:

· Dice the Challah bread and let it sit over night or until it gets stale
· Combine the cream, milk, and condensed milk and bring to a simmer
· Pour the chocolate chips into a bowl and pour the milk mixture on top
· Stir until the chocolate chips are melted and well incorporated into the cream mixture
· Whisk in the egg
· Fold in the chopped walnuts and the Challah bread
· Place in individual ramekins and bake on a sheet pan at 375 degrees for 15 minutes

Serve with vanilla ice cream and enjoy!

Homemade Chicken Stock -- Why its worth the trouble

For many people, the thought alone of homemade chicken soup is soothing to the soul.  Especially in the fall and winter time, its a dish that can warm you up quite nicely from the inside out.  We've all heard how chicken soup is great for those who are sick with a cold or the flu, but chicken broth itself is in fact an ideal food to intake regularly, mainly for its many health benefits.

There are so many dishes which call for chicken stock, and many folks don't even realize it.  Many soups, risottos, chicken pot pie, stir frys, and other chicken dishes all call for chicken stock.  While you can buy chicken stock in the store, there are a few drawbacks.  First, the chicken broths are typically made in such a way that the true nutrients of the chicken bones aren't maximized.  Also, they are lacking in taste, and extremely over-priced when compared to making it at home.  Further, be always cautious of the sodium content in store bought chicken broths.  Often, the store bought stocks are full of salt, MSG, or other additives to enhance the coloring or mask the poor taste.

Making homemade broth is downright more nutritous and comes with many health benefits.  Calcium as well as other minerals are extracted through the chicken bones during the simmering process.  For those people who do not consume much calcium through dairy products, broth offers another healthy and natural method to improve bone health.  The broth also aids the digestive system, liver function, and overall joint health.

Another benefits of homemade broths are that it enhances the flavors of any homemade dish.  Store-bought broths don't come close unless you pay top dollar for the more natural offerings.  At Atlanta Personal Chef Service, we always prioritize both the flavor and nutrition of every dish.  Our chefs will make homemade broths to use in those recipes which call for broth.  Your personal chef will typically make large batches of broths at a time, and freeze the leftover broth for use in future dishes.  Stored properly, frozen broth can last a few months in the freezer, without losing nutritional quality or taste.  While many people simply don't have the time or know how to prepare their own broths, they end up losing out in taste and nutrition in their diets.  When you have an Atlanta Personal Chef preparing your meals, you won't miss out in either.  To view some of our sample menus, click here.


 

Meaty facts on US Protein Consumption

The Nutrition Action Newsletter ran a very interesting article last year about how protein over-consumption is negatively impacting the environment and our natural resources.  According to the article, the US produces over 9 billion animals for food each year. (That breaks down to 100 million pigs, 35 million cattle, and over 8 billion chickens.)  While the animal meat does provide our population with needed protein, as a society we are severely over-eating protein, and not consuming the best kind there is.

The average male intakes 70% more protein than is needed on a daily basis.  For women, the over-consumption is at a rate of about 25%.  And, most of our protein comes in the form of animal products, whereas we could be easily getting more protein through vegetables, nuts, and other non-animal meat sources.  There are a few problems with over-eating animal protein.  First, it causes a drain on our nation's resources, since it takes significantly more water per pound of protein compared to the water required to generate an equivalent amount of non-animal protein.  When you think of the water that it takes to grow enough grain to feed to the 9 billion animals we eat each year, you'll start to get a sense of impact on our water supply.  Further, the animal waste generated by the large amount of animals, is now a major pollutant in our land's water, soil, and air.  Animal waste was once a great source of fertilizer, but this much only becomes a pollutant.

While the article explains the movement of "Meatless Mondays" as one way to remind us to consume less protein and help the environment, that is just one possible action to take.  At Atlanta Personal Chef Service, we serve only the highest quality meats, and in healthy portion sizes.  Our conscious decision to make smarter,  healthier choices, not only benefits your health, but it also controls food cost, eliminates wasted food, and helps the environment.

Grilling – Another Great Option for Healthy Eating

Atlanta Personal Chefs love to grill!  Grilling is tasty, low-fat, and with a gas grill, relatively easy to clean up afterwards.  With various options including citrus marinades, cedar plank fish, grilled veggies, or even fruit, the grill never gets boring.  Keep these tips in mind to maximize your grilling experience:

• Marinade!  Not only do marinades add tastiness and tenderness to grilled meats, they are also a key component to reducing cancer causing agents which can form on meats when they become charred.  This happens when fat from the meat drips and causes flare ups, which temporarily overheat the food on the grill, causing charring.  When this does happen, be sure to cut off the charred part of the meats so they are not ingested.
• Variety!  Think outside of the box and past your meat-only tendencies.  Corn on the cob, sliced peppers, onions, and pineapple all make for great grilled treats.  I continue to come across recipes for grilled pound cake with grilled peaches, but have yet to give it a try myself.
• Herbs and Spices!  Using herbs and spices such as sage, thyme, basil, and oregano is a health-friendly way to infuse great flavors into your meats without adding unnecessary calories.  Using herb and spice rubs is also an effective way to reduce the formation of those cancer-causing substances mentioned earlier.
• Choose Lean Meats:  When you’re grilling, the heat of the grill will naturally bring out the best in taste and tenderness of your meats.  A lean cut will taste great on the grill, and your body will thank you as well.  If you do have a piece of fatty meat, be sure to cut off any excess before you take it to the grill.
• Maximize the grill:  Understand that all surfaces on your grill don’t heat evenly.  Cooking wisely, you’ll utilize the right heat zones to control the speed of cooking and the temperature of your grill surfaces.  Areas closest to the source will be the hottest, and those further away, or elevated, will be cooler, and are often ideal for your more tender items, like your vegetables.

Atlanta Personal Chef Service loves to incorporate grilling into the diets of our clients.  For those clients who have easy access to a grill, we’ll prepare great grilled dishes that are healthy for you as well.  

Personal Chefs keep Kitchens Safe: Reducing Bacteria in Sponges

The kitchen sponge is one of the most germ-ridden items in the whole kitchen.  Sponges come into contact with tons of different bacteria throughout the day.  From cleaning countertops to washing off cutting boards and knives used to cut raw chicken, if sponges aren’t properly maintained, the germs in them could cause stomach irritation to those at home.

Over 86% of sponges in U.S. homes contain either yeast and mold, coliform bacteria, or Staph bacteria.  Because sponges contact so many different types of bacteria and food residue, bacteria can easily grow and multiply.  Their cracks and crevices make it easy for items to get inside the sponge and get trapped.

So what’s the best way to keep your kitchen sponge bacteria free?  While some recommend soaking it in bleach or lemon juice, the way proven to kill the most bacteria is to microwave your sponge for one minute each day after using.  This alone will kill a significant portion of the potentially hazardous bacteria.  Running the sponge through the dishwasher is another bacteria-killing option.  If you don’t want to go through the hassle, you can use kitchen dish cloths and toss the used ones in the laundry at the end of each day.  Regardless of which method you use, ensure that you’re not leaving wet sponges or clothes on the countertops at night.

While the chances are that your kitchen won’t get you sick, some people are extremely sensitive to those bacteria found in poorly sanitized kitchens.  At Atlanta Personal Chef Service, all of our chefs are professionally trained in kitchen sanitation.  We’ll always keep the kitchen clean, so you’ll never have to worry.  Have a question about keeping your kitchen germ-free?  Feel free to contact us.

Personal Chefs will help you eat more fish – But not too much!

Fish is a welcome addition to your weekly diet, when, like so many folks, your main protein staples are chicken and beef.  Not only are chicken and beef most readily available in restaurants, they are both simple to prepare.  But the benefits of incorporating fish into your regular diet are numerous, and for these reasons, everyone should eat fish, in moderation.

Seared Salmon over Citrus Quinoa with Snap Peas

Fish provide a rich source of protein.  While fish may or may not be less fatty than certain cuts of beef or chicken, they contain healthy fats that will also help lower your cholesterol.  Curious about Omega-3 Fatty Acids?  Many people will take Omega-3 supplements to improve heart health, but why not just incorporate fish into your regular diet?  This is an essential fatty acid for your body to have and a prolonged lack of it could cause health issues.  Many cultures rely heavily on fish, and fish is often associated with longevity.

The only real concern with eating fish is the high levels of mercury that some fish contain.  The FDA recommends that children and pregnant women eat no more than two servings of fish per week, since very high levels of mercury can eventually cause kidney and brain damage.  Among the fish low in mercury are oysters, scallops, clams, salmon, and whitefish.  Some higher in mercury include grouper, sea bass, and tuna. 

As with most things in life, fish should be consumed in moderation.  Atlanta Personal Chef Service recommends incorporating fish into their client’s weekly diets.  While individual preferences vary, our chefs are skilled at preparing tasty dishes ranging from scallops to salmon, shrimp to clams, and more.  Remember, we’ll repeat the meals you love, but if you’re not crazy about it, we’re constantly researching recipes to find the ones that match both your tastes and your bodies’ nutritional needs.  Check out some of our sample menus here.