Is a personal chef service affordable? By putting the menu planning, grocery shopping, meal preparation, and clean-up into the hands of your personal chef, you’ll save several hours a week that can be used for spending time with family, running important errands, and having fun! And by dining in, you’ll not only save money but you’ll also be able to eat what you’d like prepared the way you like it. In essence, you’re buying time to do what’s most important to you and control over your meal preparation, making a personal chef service very worthwhile and affordable. Look at it this way, if you were to go to a restaurant instead, how much would you be spending? Don’t forget to factor in gas, tax and tip.
Can Chef Cynthia cook the meals elsewhere and deliver them to my home? Health Department regulations require all prep work and cooking be done in the client's home or a commercial kitchen. Rather than renting a commercial kitchen, which increases the client's costs, Chef Cynthia likes the idea of purchasing all perishable items on the way to your home so that you can be assured of the freshest quality and safe handling in the preparation of your meals.
Do I need to be home on the cook date? No. In fact, in order for Chef Cynthia to concentrate on creating the best meals possible, it is best that she have the kitchen to herself. Most clients feel comfortable giving her keys to their homes and she comes and goes while they are at work or while they run their errands and get on with their day. Also, please know that, for safety reasons, at no time are children or pets allowed in the kitchen while she is working. This allows her to concentrate on her work with no interruptions and without endangering anyone with knives or hot pans.
How long will she be in my home? Depending upon the complexity of the menu, please plan on 4-8 hours.
Who selects the menu? Following a personal interview, Chef Cynthia will have a general knowledge of your food preferences. The menu can be planned together, or, if you prefer, she can design one for you for each cook date and submit it to you for your approval.
Will Chef Cynthia be willing to prepare some of our family favorites? Absolutely! If you will provide her with a copy of the recipe, she will be happy to include it in your menu. Or, if you prefer, she can prepare one of your favorite dishes using one of her own recipes.
Can she accommodate special diets? She will be happy to help you follow a special diet for a small additional charge to cover time spent in research and menu planning.
Should I prepare a space in my refrigerator in advance or will she make space for me? Chef Cynthia does require that you leave appropriate space in your refrigerator for all your meals. You can choose which ones to leave in the refrigerator and which ones to put in the freezer.
Is there anything for me to do? All she needs is a clean kitchen and refrigerator when she arrives. Other than that, she will do all of the shopping, preparing, cooking, packaging, labeling and clean up. All you have to do is heat and enjoy your meals!
What kind of packaging will be used? Is it microwave and oven safe? The packaging choice is totally up to you. You have the option of using freezer/refrigerator safe plastic food storage containers (Glad, Ziplock) or glass containers (Pyrex, Corningware) which is also oven and microwave-safe. Glad Ovenware is also available, which is microwave-safe and safe in the oven up to 375 degrees for 30 minutes. The container fee is based upon the method chosen. Containers remain with the client for re-use and are replaced as needed for an additional fee.
How does payment work? At the time the first cook date is arranged, a deposit request will be made for groceries and containers. Cash, check and credit cards through Paypal are acceptable. Any deposit money left over after the first shopping trip will be applied to the chef service fee. Grocery bills exceeding the deposit will be added to the final bill. Chef Cynthia will leave an invoice and total due at the end of the cook date. You can send her a check in the self addressed, stamped envelope which will be left for you or you can pay by Paypal.
Do I need to have equipment and utensils on hand for your use? Chef Cynthia will bring everything she needs to prepare your meals, including some small appliances. If you have some small appliances you would like her to use, it can be discussed in more detail during the personal interview. All that is required of your kitchen is that it be a clean, clutter-free work area.
How do we begin? Simply contact Chef Cynthia to set up a personal interview in your home.
Professional. Personalized Service. Delicious In-home Meals.
Serving the Texas Hill Country including Lakeway, Bee Cave, Westlake, Spicewood & West Austin
