Cooking with Cook

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Customers rated this pro highly for work quality, professionalism, and responsiveness.

Read reviews that mention:

• cook・4

• chef・3

• menu・3

• food・2

• delicious・2

• meal・2

• recipes・1

• culinary・1

• sushi・1

• sauce・1

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Brandi C.

Jan 30, 2021

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Hired on Thumbtack

Hired on Thumbtack

I had a somewhat unique request for Chef Cook, with many dietary restrictions and she came through with such an excellent quality - waaaaay better than I expected! I’m so pleased and am telling everyone I know to seek her out. Very talented, kind, responsive, and flexible. Two thumbs way way up.

Details: 2 people • American • Basic cooking skills • No dietary restrictions • Adult (over 18) • Beginner • My home, venue, etc.

Private Cooking Lessons

April B.

Sep 23, 2021

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Hired on Thumbtack

Hired on Thumbtack

Katie is awesome to work with and is an excellent cook.

Details: Regular meal • 2 guests • Dinner • Premium (high end ingredients) • American - casual • Italian • Asian • Meal prepared onsite • A few times per month • My home, venue, etc.

Personal Chef

Becky V.

Jun 2, 2021

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Hired on Thumbtack

Hired on Thumbtack

Katie is a life-saver! I don't know how we ever survived before her! Before Katie, I was one of those working moms who has a panic attack every weeknight around 5pm about what I'm going to for dinner, trying to frantically think of something I can make with what we have on hand, dreading a last minute run to the grocery store, feeling so tired and wishing I could just come home and have dinner made for me for once, and - ultimately - usually resorting to GrubHub. I decided to look for outsourcing solutions when I tallied up how much money (and extra calories) we were spending on GrubHub. Katie was the perfect solution! She does a bi-weekly menu consult with us so the meals meet our taste preferences and nutrition goals. Then she sends a shopping list which I enter into ClickList on the Fred Meyer website and pick up the day before she arrives. She spends ~8 hours at our home every other week & makes 2 family servings of 4 recipes complete with an entree and side (=8 dinners) -- 2 of them are to serve out of the refrigerator and 2 are to serve out of the freezer. Every single recipe has been insanely delicious! Brazilian fish stew, shrimp & sausage bake, Thai chicken curry, chicken caesar salad with homemade croutons, sushi rolls, etc. I took the chicken caesar salad to a dinner party and so many people asked me for the recipe that I finally had to confess that I didn't make it. Katie is a genius in the kitchen and just a true pleasure to have on site. I work from home and barely know she's there except the dog goes missing so he can follow her around everywhere. Our dog is her shadow and dreams about running away with her. The times when I've forgotten to tell her where something is, she just figures it out. If you're in need of some grace and self-care in your life, get with Katie now!

Details: 1 person • American • Basic cooking skills • No dietary restrictions • Adult (over 18) • Beginner • My home, venue, etc. • At the pro’s location

Cooking with Cook's reply

Love working with your family! You guys are awesome!

Private Cooking Lessons

Jan B.

Dec 4, 2020

I highly recommend Katie as a personal chef to anyone! I hired her to cater a 60-person decade birthday party for me earlier this year, having heard of her culinary skills from several friends, and I was blown away! After a fruitful interview and my calling her references, I hired her. She stepped in and got right to work, communicating with me frequently over the three weeks we prepared for the party. She sent me lots of yummy menu ideas—some of them very gourmet such as flank steak bites with bleu cheese-hazelnut shortbread and a port reduction sauce—but simpler items as well. She also recommended wines that would complement the dishes. We agreed to a set of hors d’oeuvre, and she sent me a complete grocery list the next day. We talked several times before the party about presentation, décor of the table, set-up, clean-up, etc. She was extremely flexible and organized. When she arrived on the day of the party, she had prepared several items in advance, and she planned and cooked perfectly so that everything was complete simultaneously. She set up the serving tables beautifully, and my guests were thrilled with the “spread”. So many oooos and ahhhhhs. She kept all the plates full and circulated through the throng offering food when time permitted. She also cleaned everything up beautifully. Literally everyone commented on her skill and demeanor—I am so happy I had hired Katie for this important birthday. She’d be a great private chef.

Meghan C.

Nov 14, 2020

Katie has been cooking for our family of four, including two littles, for more than three years. I can’t imagine life without her...it would definitely be less tasty. She is a phenomenal cook, is super open to feedback and making things that work for our family, and is a wonderful human to boot. She is also very efficient and leaves the kitchen spick and span. If I could give her 100 stars I would.

FAQs

• What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?

  I generally charge $30 an hour for 4-8 hrs of work biweekly, including menu planning and labor. Usually my clients do the grocery shopping once we've settled on a menu, but I have also set up accounts with my clients with Fred Meyer, etc. so that I can do the shopping, and pick-up supplies on my way to their home. (This additional time would go towards the hourly rate.) If you would like to discuss a specific dessert or event, rather than on ongoing arrangement, I will happily put together an estimate for us to discuss.

• What is your typical process for working with a new customer?

  Once I have connected with a new customer, we meet face to face, either in person, or over a video chat, to get to know one another and see if we are a good fit. At this time we'll discuss what your dietary needs and goals are, what you enjoy eating, if you have any allergies, or if there are any foods that you hate. I am happy to send sample menus prior to this meeting as a basis for discussion! If we would both like to move forward, I would come to your home for a walk-though of the kitchen so I know what kind of equipment you have, and we can talk about any items you may need (such as Tupperware), or if I can provide the extra items (I'm happy to bring a couple extra sheet pans, etc.). This meeting can also happen upon my first appointment if that is more convenient. I usually work in the house while my clients are at their respective jobs, but I also have customers who work from home, or are homeschooling their children, in which case I'll give you the space you need if you need to get into the kitchen during the appointment.

• What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?

  I have 17 years of real world experience cooking, serving, and bartending in various restaurants. I received an Associates Degree from the Oregon Culinary Institute in Baking, Pastry, and Restaurant Management. I have a current Oregon Food Handlers Card, and current OLCC servers license. most recently, I taught public cooking classes at Portland's Culinary Workshop for 7 years, working with a ton of different genres of food, as well as meeting the needs of a variety of dietary restrictions including allergies, vegan, vegetarian, and Orthodox Union Kosher. Prior to that I was the Executive Chef of Steamboat Bay Fishing Club in Alaska for three summers where I received a named mention in Forbes Magazine. I also worked at a few notable restaurants in PDX such as the Veritable Quandary, Ciao Vito, and Castagna.