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What does a personal chef do?
We take over your kitchen and free
you from the task of planning, shopping, cooking and cleaning
up, whether for
your day to day meals, dinner parties for 2-12, or your
special occasions. All cooking is done in your kitchen,
but we bring
all the equipment
we need to prepare your meals. You come home to delectable
aromas and the peace of mind of knowing that dinner is
taken care of. Your Place Gourmet also offers in-home cooking
lessons.
How much
does a personal chef service cost?
Our services are tailored to your specific tastes and
desires, so the cost depends on a number of factors.
Pricing is customized to the type and size of service,
but standard service of 20-24 meals starts at $300+ the cost of groceries. Check out the prices page to see pricing for other services.
What
kind of food do personal chefs make?
Individual customization for each customer is Your
Place Gourmet’s specialty. Whether you prefer
comfort food that reminds you of home, a gourmet touch,
vegetarian,
or weight loss diet, we work with you to specialize
in meeting your needs. To see some sample menus, click
here.
My doctor
has put me on a particular diet. Can you help?
Your Place Gourmet can work with your doctor, dietician,
nutritionist, or personal trainer to prepare meals
to your diet’s specifications. An additional
fee will be assessed for complex meal planning.
How many
different entrees do you prepare each service?
We prepare five different entrées with an appropriate
side dish (the number of portions will depend on the number
of people enjoying the meals). If you prefer not to include
side dishes, we will prepare six different entrées.
We will not repeat an entrée for at least
6 months unless you request it.
Where
do you do the cooking?
We do all food preparation in your home, however,
we bring all the equipment and utensils we need
to prepare
the
food. You need only provide the oven, microwave,
refrigerator and freezer.
How much time will you need
in my kitchen?
With Your Place Gourmet's personal chef service, we are typically
in your home for approximately 5-7 hours, depending
on the
menu. For
cooking classes, we typically need approximately
2 hours of prep time prior to the start of
class.
What
areas do you service?
For cooking classes, dinner parties and the
traditional personal chef service, we serve
the Southwest
Valley areas of Goodyear, Litchfield Park,
Avondale, Buckeye, and Tolleson.
These are
also the areas served for gift certificates. Some outlying areas are also covered - contact us to find out if you are in our service area.
Does
a personal chef come to my house every day?
No. To make the service as economical as
possible, we spend the day in your home
preparing a variety
of meals
in advance
(one to four weeks' worth).
I just
need a couple of nights of food per week; can you do
this?
The most economical option is for us
to prepare a variety of meals at once.
However,
many
of our clients
have
us prepare the standard 10-day service
on a monthly basis,
as they
still go out to eat, travel or prepare
meals themselves.
Do I
have to sign up for a regular schedule, or can I just
call you when I need
you?
Your Place Gourmet’s service is designed for people
looking for a long-term solution to their “what’s
for dinner,” dilemma, so we schedule
each client on a standing cook date,
whether it's weekly, bi-weekly or
monthly. That way you're ensured a
regular place our my schedule.
What if I'm going on vacation
or will be traveling for work?
We simply request that you let us
know at least 30 days in advance
of your
scheduled travel
or vacation
so
that we have the option of filling
that day with another client.
However, if your travel schedule
prevents you from committing to a
regularly
scheduled cook
date,
We would be happy to refer
you to another chef.
Are all
the meals frozen?
The majority of your meals will be
stored in your freezer, however,
we typically
store your
first
couple nights'
meals in your refrigerator, especially
if one meal is a fresh
fish selection. For those meals
that do not freeze well, they would just
need to
be consumed
within
the first
three to five days. You may also
opt for a weekly fresh-serve menu,
for
an additional
fee.
What does your service fee
cover?
It covers the menu planning, grocery
shopping, food preparation,
pantry items
(spices, oils,
vinegars, condiments)
and food packaging required for
your meals.
How much
room do you need in my refrigerator and freezer?
We typically need at least 1
shelf each in your refrigerator
and
freezer. However,
if
we are preparing
30-40 plates,
then a separate freezer is
required.
Do I need to be home when
you're here?
No, in fact, most of our clients
are not home when we are there.
They just
provide
us with
a key and
the alarm
code, if
necessary. Trust that we will
treat your home better than
our own and
keep your
information in the strictest
confidence.
I want to learn how to cook;
can you give me a cooking
lesson while
you're
doing
the service?
As you can imagine, preparing
five different entrees
and side dishes
takes a considerable
amount of
concentration. Therefore,
we are unable to provide
cooking lessons
while performing your service.
However,
we would be happy to schedule
a separate session that
can be devoted to cooking
lessons
based
upon what
you'd like
to learn
(see
cooking lessons for more
information).
Do you offer gift certificates?
We do offer gift certificates
on a limited basis, based
upon our
current
client
schedule. Gift
certificates prices vary,
contact Chef Kim for pricing
and availability.
Recipients pick from a list of menu items, which
we include
in
the gift
certificate
package. Again,
our
gift certificate
service is limited to
our service area in the Southwest Valley.
Do you take debit and credit cards?
Yes, we do! We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express.
No longer just for the rich and
famous.
A common misconception is that a Personal Chef Service
is only for the wealthy. Anyone who has a need to solve
the "What's
for Dinner?" problem can hire a Personal Chef Service.
More and more people from all walks-of-life are hiring personal
chefs. If you appreciate great food, enjoy personalized service,
and want more time in your busy schedule a personal chef
service is exactly what you need. People who hire personal
chefs include:
- Busy Professionals
- Families on
the Go
- Seniors and Retirees
- Those trying to reach their fitness and/or weightloss goals
- People with Special
Dietary Needs and Restrictions
We first go over a food questionnaire with you to determine
your food preferences and dietary needs. We then schedule
a cook date in your home. On your cook dates, we take care of all the grocery
shopping for your meals, as well as bring all the necessary
cookware, utensils and food containers. You just need to
provide the oven, microwave, refrigerator and freezer.
Once we’ve filled out the food questionnaire, we craft
a personalized menu for you. Each meal then gets packaged
in separate containers and is stored in either the refrigerator
or freezer. Detailed instructions for heating are left for
you and we leave your kitchen spotless with just the lingering
aromas of the scrumptious meals we’ve prepared!
On the cook date, we usually arrive
between 8-8:30 a.m. On a typical day the chef is there until 2:30-3:30 p.m. It’s
not necessary for you to be home; we’d just have to
make arrangements for the chef to get into your house.
Please contact us at (602-495-8000)
to schedule a time to go over the food questionnaire (it
typically takes about
45 minutes). Ideally we’d meet in your home so that
we can see the kitchen in which we’d be cooking. We also
want to be sure to get input from everyone who will be enjoying
the meals.
Take care; We look forward to cooking for you!
Chef Kim
* Please note: additional charges may apply should you have
special dietary requirements or would like all-organic foods.
As a Culinary Inspirations certified instructor, Chef Kim has
several different curriculums to choose from, based upon
what you'd like to learn.
Do you offer hands-on or just demonstrations classes?
Most of the classes are demonstration, however, we do
offer participants the opportunity to practice the
technique
if they so choose. If your kitchen is large enough
to accommodate a full hands-on course, we would be happy
to discuss it with
you (extra charges may apply, plus you will need
to provide additional equipment, such as knives, cutting
boards,
etc.)
How much do classes cost?
Most classes are $55-$75 per person, with a 6-person
minimum (groceries are included). Classes for individuals
or couples
are available for $100/hour with a 2-hour minimum,
plus the cost of groceries.
What
is the minimum and maximum number of people for a class?
Most classes require a minimum of six people,
although we do offer classes for individuals and
couples.
The maximum number depends on the size of your
kitchen,
however, we've
found that classes are most effective with 12
people or fewer.
Do you
provide the equipment?
Our goal is to teach you dishes that you can prepare
yourself, so ideally we'd use your equipment.
However, we would be happy
to use ours and provide you with recommendations
for purchasing your own.
Will
we eat the menu items prepared during the class, or do
you just provide samples?
There'll be plenty of food! Depending on
the menu, you will either eat the dishes
as they
are finished,
or you
will sit down to a feast at the end.
I have
a small kitchen; can you still do the class?
We would have to do a site visit first to determine
if your set-up will work. We will need sufficient
space
to prepare
everything, plus there needs to be enough
room for participants to observe what's
happening.
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