Frequently Asked Questions

A personal chef is different than a private chef. A private chef is an employee of an individual or family. A personal chef is a business owner and serves numerous clients–generally one per day–providing multiple meals that are custom-designed for the client’s particular tastes, dietary and food allergy requirements. The meals are packaged and stored according to the client’s needs to be enjoyed at their leisure.

Different from catering, all the meals are prepared in the safety of your own kitchen utilizing your culinary tools, according to required food safety guidelines. On our agreed upon cooking date, I will bring all the ingredients, needed to prepare your selections. At the end of the day, your kitchen will be left clean with nothing left behind except your mouth-watering selections and the aroma of good home cooking.

Health department and zoning laws prohibit it. If a personal chef offers to deliver your meals, an important question to ask is: Are you preparing them in a licensed, health department-approved commercial kitchen? Cooking everything at your home as opposed to preparing it offsite and delivering it provides you with the freshest, safest food possible. When working in your home, Bill will make each chef date as accommodating and unobtrusive as possible.

Because all your meals are prepared from scratch with great care and attention to detail, I will be at your home anywhere from five to eight hours depending upon the number of entrees. I am willing to accommodate whatever works best with your schedule or situation.

So that you can easily try and evaluate my service, I provide disposable containers for a small charge for the first chef date. After that, you can select from several options such as disposable or permanent Pyrex containers. Pyrex containers are popular because in addition to being a one-time investment, they are versatile and eco-friendly. Plastic containers are a less expensive alternative; however, you will need to transfer the meal to an oven-safe dish for heating in a conventional oven. Simply wash the containers in your dishwasher after you have enjoyed the meal and have them ready each service date in a predetermined location. The containers belong to you if you discontinue the service.

Yes. The entrees and side dishes should be heated using the approximate heating instructions I provide. Heating instructions are approximate because all ovens and microwaves vary in performance. I recommend using a meat thermometer to accurately determine when the dish has been heated to the correct temperature.

For services that include side dishes, you may request a specific item or allow me to pair an appropriate side dish with the entrée. Side dishes may be a seasonal fresh vegetable, healthy mashed Japanese sweet potatoes, brown rice, cauliflower rice, healthy pasta, grain.

The fee represents all the components of a professional personal chef service: A detailed assessment of your needs and dietary requirements, special diet research, menu planning, ordering, and shopping for ingredients, meal preparation, packaging of your selections, and cleaning up.

For most services, the cost of groceries is over and above the fee. By paying a separate cooking fee, you are hiring me to cook groceries you would have to purchase anyway. This allows you to make premium selections such as prime beef, veal, lamb, pork, and seafood. With those services, you also have the option of organic fruits and vegetables, organic and grass-fed meat and poultry, and wild seafood.

When you go to a restaurant, you may need to drive there, find parking, possibly wait for a table, take a chance your server is having a good day, hope that your special requests are honored, pay for it, tip the server and drive home. If you have a personal chef, you can heat a beautiful entrée that was thoughtfully and carefully prepared to your palate and dietary requirements and enjoy it in your most comfortable clothes in the comfort of your own home.

My professional personal chef service may even help you control your food costs as you will be less likely to impulse-buy in the grocery store or resort to low-quality fast food or frozen processed food. Remember all that produce you purchased intending to make home-cooked meals and then had to throw out because you never got to it? That won’t happen anymore with a personal chef!

As quality ingredients make for quality meals, I shop for all the ingredients needed. For most clients, I shop at Whole Foods or Trader Joes.

It will depend on how many nights you eat at home and the number of entrees and servings ordered. Whether it’s weekly, once every two weeks, monthly, or as needed, we’ll make sure it works best for you and supports your lifestyle without putting pressure on you. Chef dates are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis.

A check for my service in addition to the grocery deposit will be required in advance of the cooking date. Payment is required in advance because I am reserving an entire day for you. I will guarantee the cooking fee for one year; after that it is subject to increase. Because our relationship is based on mutual trust, please have a check ready for me when I arrive on each subsequent chef date. There is no contract, and you are not locked in for any period; our mutual arrangement can be terminated by either of us at any time with advance notice.