Meal Preparation

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. Meet with the provider and get a sense of what they are offering. If they want to charge you an hourly rate, shop around. Providers in this field will work long hours to provide you with the best meal possible, therefore charging an hourly rate is unethical in my opinion. I also feel the provider should be willing to travel to you, because that keeps you comfortable in your own setting and they can get a feel of what you have and what they are going to need to provide. Don't always settle for the first provider listed, keep your options open.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. I would like to share that it is not always necessary in today's environment to have a formal culinary education. There are somethings that you learn in your own kitchen that they can't teach you in a school. I have taken and passed the food handler's exam and that is the most important thing. I now what pairs well with each other and I execute from that game plan. I don't let formality get in the way of giving the client what they are asking for. At the same time, I present it so that it is appealing to the eye as well as the taste buds. No real secret, just experience.

Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?

A. There are so many questions that should be asked, but at the same time, they are all individual to the client. The first question that should be asked is, Can I see your Food Handler's Card? If the provider doesn't have this, then he/she has no business preparing your food. This ensures that you know he/she knows how to prepare and serve food safely. Next ask what their experience is. You want to know if they know how to personalize their services. Ask them if they would be willing to prepare a quick sample meal so that you can see and taste what they have to offer. Any good provider would be able to provide a quick dish with whatever is on hand in the client's home to show what they are capable of.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. I personally decided to get into the food industry because I realized at a young age that food made people happy. In my early years, I am not sure the age, but it was before I was 12, we threw a surprise birthday party for my mother. We were planning on serving hamburgers, but I wanted them to be BBQ hamburgers and we didn't have one bottle of BBQ sauce in the house. At that particular moment, I recalled a conversation I had with my maternal Grandmother where she stated to me that BBQ sauce consisted of ketchup, brown sugar and various spices. So I went to work to make my own. I think I added every spice in our spice cabinet, and the end result was a huge success. I have since expounded on that original attempt and come up with my own 'Bubba-Q Sauce'. At that moment I knew that creating food made people happy. I then grew up just preparing meals for friends and family, however with their encouragement, I have decided to venture out and prepare meals for others. I want the experience to be personal, because I feel food is personal, that is why I chose to become a personal chef.