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Personal Chefs

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Related pages: Caterers and Meal Delivery Services

Chef for family of four

March 2006

I would like to find a personal chef (or person knowledgeable in cooking) for a family of four, who could come to my house in the Berkeley Hills and help me design an easy, healthy meal plan for my family (two twin boys age 2), and help me learn how to cook the meals easily. Thanks.


We recently had our second baby and my parents hired a personal chef for us for a month. Her name is Jen Aquino and her operation is called ''The Joy of Not Cooking''. She has an extensive 13 page menu and her food is fabulous. She prepares food for you once a week and you can have her cook at your house or deliver. I'm not sure if she's interested in teaching, but you can always ask. She's incredibly pleasant to work with. joyofnotcooking.net

Personal Chef for SF Family

April 2004

Hello, I was hoping that I could get some recommendations for ''personal chefs'' who can come into our home in San Francisco and cook our meal for the night, including several other meals we can either keep in the refrigerator or freezer. I have read what has been listed but was hoping I could get more recent recommendations. I have a friend who has this in NY and with their busy/crazy schedule, it's added so much to their life! I would like to find someone who cooks very healthy(not over the top healthy though), but of course very YUMMY. Additionally, someone who is fairly reasonably priced would be an added bonus. Thank you so much and I look forward to hearing of any referrals- Linn


Four Star Private Chefs (www.fourstarchefs.com) or Town and Country (www.tandcr.com) are both agencies that could help match you with an appropriate person. Rebecca
Erica Long is a personal chef in San Francisco. Her number is (415) 753-6176. She catered some office parties for us and did a great job and has also cooked for us on occasion. She's very nice, flexible and happy to work with your nutritional needs. I know she can either cook at your house or deliver meals to you (you talk about the menu and number of servings and whether you'll be freezing some.) Any questions feel free to email. Tell her Marissa referred you.
I would like to recommend Chez Ellen Personal Chef Services. Ellen is a fantastic chef, she totally understood what I was looking for. She designs a personal menu for me each week and sends it to me for my review. I really look forward to her meals each day because between my job and the kids I have no time to cook a delicious, nutritious and dare I say it -- gourmet -- meal each night. Ellen really delivers. She can be reached at 510-428-CHEF. katie

Home Chef needed - expecting multiples

Feb. 2003

Has anyone ever tried Jessie et Laurent or Jennifer Knapp as a home chef/ home food delivery service? Are there other great alternatives in the Berkeley area that provide healthy, tasty and affordable food to a family preparing for the arrival of multiples? Any hints welcome. Isabelle


We've used Jessie et Laurent for extended periods, on and off for many years and they are terrific. The food is lovely, the ordering easy online weekly, and it is totally consistent and dependable. Do look at their website menus and see if the food fits your eating style and tastes. A personal chef is also a great option also and I recommend you look at the American Personal Chef's Association listings and check out the different chef websites. I have not used Jennifer Knappe but I've heard she's very good. You'll have more flexibility and highly personalized food with your own chef. We were thrilled with J&L, and I loved the quick delivery, no mess, easy ordering. Plus, some things freeze well for later use. Debby
I would like to recommend Lori Mazon as a home chef. She cooked for us when we had our first and second child. Her meals are delicious and plentiful enough that we made it last a few days which helped out so much. Her number is 925-685-2498 and her email address is culinary_capers AT yahoo.com. Enjoy! angela
Hi, I have just started a personal chef business, based in Berkeley, and have put a lot of thought into what kinds of services are the most desirable. I would love to talk with you about the pros and cons of personal chefs, how to get the most from the service, and what you need to know before you jump in. As my business is so new I certainly have the time and would love to speak with you about your needs even if only to get the benefit of the discussion and to hear your response. Of course, I would also love to have the opportunity to cook for you and your family. I do not know anything about the other companies you mentioned, though I have heard of them, and I can direct you to other chefs and web sites for your research if you like. My company e-mail is homemade AT riegerworld.com. Susan Rieger
I highly recommend Oakland personal chef Nancye Benson. 510.459.7480 We used her pesonal chef services when we had our son and it was the most enjoyable and intelligent thing I could have ever done to make my life easier. I felt so much healthier and less frazzled becuase I always had something good and healthy ready to go in the fridge. I liked the things she made, she worked with us on my special diet which involved no dairy and I still remember all the things she made us! - ready for us to put in the oven and cook and sometimes just heat and serve. She is currently working with clients that eat all Organic, gluten free diets so I know she can do anyting you want. And her little touches are supurb, better than other of these ''services''. I'm not sure of her pricing now but when we used her she was compeditive with others and I liked her style a lot. try http://www.msdish.com Best wishes, Hadley
Chris Becker, of the Pedaling Gourmet, is a personal chef who has cooked for me a number of times. Prior to becoming a personal chef, he worked at Boulevard Restaurant, Paula Leduc Catering and the Four Seasons in New York. Chris is an athlete who focuses on healthy fare featuring seasonal, organic ingredients and creative menus. The food is so delicious you would never know it's also good for you, I promise! I suggest you try his service. Here is his website - http://www.pedalinggourmet.net
Rose
Sorry for the late response, but I just saw the post. I have used Jessie et Laurent and found their food to be excellent. They are also very friendly and helpful. But you basically have to order from what they have available for the week, although they will work with you on special dietary needs.

On the other hand, I have been using a wonderful personal chef for over a year. Her name is Ellen Doren, and she is a member of this group. Her business is Chez Ellen and she does catering as well as meal preparation. For her personal chef service, she will meet with you to discuss your dietary needs and likes and dislikes. Then she prepares menus for your approval. She comes to your home and prepares the meals at whatever interval you work out -- for us she comes every other week and makes 6 meals, three for the fridge and three for the freezer. That way we have almost half our dinners taken care of. We started using Ellen when I was 6 months pregnant and my husband tore his Achilles tendon so we were a pretty low-functioning pair. But we continue to use her because with two kids and two working parents, getting a meal on the table every day is no easy task! Ellen's email is chez_ellen@yahoo.com. Good luck! Stephanie


More Recommendations

June 2004

Re: Organic/Vegetarian meal delivery service
Hope I'm not out of line to recommend my husband's business, but I am a frequent and lucky consumer of his healthful and organic cooking - his business is the Pedaling Gourmet. His is technically a personal chef business, rather than meal delivery; however, incase you have trouble finding organic/vegetarian delivery options, please check out his website at www.pedalinggourmet.net. Esther


July 2003

I am writing on behaf of my high school friend who has started her own business, ''The Joy of Not Cooking'', as a personal chef. She prepares wonderful food, has years of experience and is sweet, enthusiastic and dependable. Jenny is a trained personal chef who prepares multiple meals at one time for families who do not have much time to do it for themselves and who would enjoy a good home cooked meal. Only the freshest, hand selected ingredients are used. For more information, check out her web site ''JoyofNotCooking.Net'' or call her at 510-388-0643. Leah


April 2003

I'd like to recommend my talented friend Leslie Perlman who both teaches piano and cooks professionally. Cece
Here's her info:

Personal Chef 'The Colors of Dinner' I have been cooking professionally for many years, both privately and at a well known Berkeley restaurant. I will prepare and deliver delicious, seasonal and healthful food to your home. I am also available for small parties. Leslie 510-524-3858


June 2002

My friend Erica Long who is a personal chef has an opening during the week for her services. She\222s quite reasonable (can work within a budget) and a marvelous cook. She catered our office\222s holiday party and also cooked for us (when we were coming back from vacation and other times.) She can cook weekly, biweekly or monthly (depending if you want food that week or extra dishes in the freezer.) She can provide menus or you can give her your favorite recipes. It\222s especially great for new parents who don\222t have family in the area to help. Call Erica at (415) 753-6176 or email her: ericastbl AT earthlink.net


Nov 2001

Re: Meals for L.A. Friend
In reply to LA-area meal delivery service, I have a good suggestion. Check out the following website: http://www.personalchef.com

My husband is a personal chef in the Bay Area who does just this type of thing and is very popular with new parents. I think you'll find most of the chefs listed on this site are reasonably priced and provide just the service you're looking for. Esther


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