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.