Give a Food Gift with a Twist -- a Chef Who Comes to You | Detroit Free

● CLASSIFIEDS:

● CARS

● JOBS

● HOMES

● APARTMENTS

● CLASSIFIEDS

● SHOPPING

● E-CIRCULARS

● DAILY DEALS

● ADVERTISE

● SUBSCRIBE

● News

● Sports

● Michigan Business

ADVERTISEMENT ●

●

Give a food gift with a twist -- a chef who comes to you

December 17, 2008 |

Zoom

Coconut Macadamia Shrimp from the Original Wandering Gourmet. / Photos by DAVID KILKENNEY/Special to DFP

Ah, the steak house gift certificate -- the all- purpose fallback present when we want to give a really nice gift but can't think what to buy.

It's not a terrible choice -- everyone loves food, after all.

But Holy Porterhouse, how unimaginative!

This year, instead of sending your special Liz Engel, CEO of the Original Wandering Gourmet, someone to a restaurant, why not send a prepares fruit skewers during an in-home party for client Amy Guzzardo in Shelby Township. Hiring a chef chef to his or her door? makes a great present for a romantic dinners, or for someone who has difficulty cooking. For about what you might pay for dinner for two at a top restaurant, you can hire a

creative, white-coated chef to prepare and

Go to freep.com, click on the contests area, enter your serve a romantic candlelit dinner in their own contact information on the contest form and you'll be home. registered to win. Each day, we'll randomly draw from the entries. For official rules and contest details, go to freep. The recipients pick a date and work with the com. chef to choose a menu. Then the chef does

the shopping, arrives at the home with all the necessary equipment, cooks and serves the

meal, cleans up and leaves the satisfied diners to enjoy their afterglow. How to find a chef

Start by asking for suggestions from friends who might It's an experience most people have never have hired chefs themselves. Most of the Original Wandering Gourmet's business had. And it's one they won't soon forget. comes from word-of-mouth recommendations, says company CEO Liz Engel. "I burst into tears, it was such a surprise. It ● If you have a favorite chef or caterer, ask them for was overwhelming," said Christina Salatrik suggestions. Some might even take the job themselves if the price and job are right. Expect their fees to reflect their of Clinton Township, whose husband experience level. surprised her with dinner for the two of them, ● Search personal chef associations' Web sites; two sites prepared by personal chef Dan Engel of the are www.hireachef.com and www.personalchefsearch.com. Original Wandering Gourmet in Warren. The

● Call local culinary schools. They might have instructors business is a family affair; his wife, Liz or even advanced students who could take the job, Engel, is CEO of the 4-year-old company. says chef Kelli Lewton of 2 Unique Caterers and Pure Food 2 U, an organic home-delivered meals company "It was so nice. It wasn't rushed at all. He did in Royal Oak. A student might save you significant money, but be aware you're hiring a relatively appetizers and a salad, and dinner and inexperienced person. dessert. It was perfect," Salatrik said.

● Consider posting your need for an in-home chef on Craig's List, www.craigslist.org, Lewton says. "I have chefs here Unlike restaurant chefs, personal chefs cook who are always cruising it," she says. The free online service lists everything from businesses for sale to in customers' homes, typically coming in for employment ads. a day to prepare and freeze several days' or

And remember: Before hiring someone to come into your weeks' worth of dinners for the household. home and cook for your guests, ask for references from recent previous clients. Don't assume that a chef's But their services are far more varied and membership in a professional organization is a guarantee you'll like their work. interesting than that.

Sylvia Rector Much of their work involves planning,

cooking for and serving at in-home dinner parties of all sizes and styles, from the kind of romantic dinner Michael Salatrik staged for his wife to cocktail parties for 100.

One popular theme is the in-home cooking class, where the chef turns that night's dinner preparations into a cooking lesson for the group. Depending on what the host prefers, guests can sip wine and watch the action or join in to learn a new technique or recipe.

Some customers, like Amy Guzzardo of Shelby Township, want to create a special experience for their guests -- as well as being able to enjoy their own event without worrying about cooking and serving.

She hired Dan Engel earlier this month to cook for a party for 11 of her longtime friends.

"We're all busy with our own lives, but we made a pact that we would have at least one Christmas dinner a year that we would never miss," she said. "We've been doing it for 32 years, and we all take turns hosting. Sometimes it's at a restaurant."

But Guzzardo, who owns a florist service, wanted her event to be "a little more private and a little bit different. I thought I'd love to entertain at the house, but I didn't know where to find a good gourmet chef."

Her administrative assistant went to work on the problem and found Engel online at www.personalchefmi.com.

He's just one of 17 personal chefs listed within 60 miles of Detroit on www.hireachef.com, a Web site operated by the United States Professional Chef Association.

The American Personal & Private Chef Association lists 22 members in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe and Washtenaw counties on www.personalchefsearch.com. Engel says preparing home-cooked meals for families, professional couples, people with special dietary needs and elderly people remains the largest part of his business.

As a gift, a week's worth of professionally prepared, nutritious dinners might not sound as exciting as, say, a gift certificate for a murder-mystery dinner party. But it can be perfect for people who have trouble cooking for themselves.

"It's a wonderful gift for parents and the elderly -- especially the elderly, because it's so difficult to cook for just one person," he says. And because the meals are substantial, "a 20-meal package would last a single person a whole month."

Personal chefs' fees vary. They're typically more expensive than restaurant meals, but the food and service comes with advantages: They're all customized for the client, prepared in the customer's own kitchen, and designed and packaged for easy, successful reheating.

Engel charges $325 for a 10-meal package, which includes 10 entrees and 10 sides, plus extras like salads and homemade bread or perhaps dessert. However, just $50 more buys a 20-meal package, he notes.

Prices start at $200 for "a very nice, romantic dinner for two," says Liz Engel. "They're very popular. We do pretty well with gift certificates," she adds.

The price includes appetizer, salad, entrée, side vegetable and dessert. "We help them plan a menu. We shop, cook, serve and clean up, and we bring our own equipment," she says.

Personal chefs can serve alcohol at a party, but it must be purchased by the host at a licensed retailer. That represents a substantial savings over the cost of buying drinks in a bar or restaurant.

To Michael Salatrik, the surprise dinner he arranged was worth every penny. He was going out of town on a hunting trip with his wife's father -- on her birthday. She wasn't very happy about the timing, even though she wanted them to go.

But when she came home from work and saw a table set in front of the fireplace with china and candles, all was forgiven. "It was beautiful," Christina Salatrik said.

In the kitchen, Dan Engel worked like "a well-oiled machine. ... He was such a pleasure to have in our home. And the food was amazing."

Sending someone a chef for an evening "would make an excellent gift for somebody, because right now, everyone who has a job is working so hard and putting in so many hours," she said. "Doing Subscribe! Michigan news Archives High school sports On the go Mike Thompson something in your own home is just really enjoyable."

❍ Michigan lawmakers travel to Detroit for View the last seven ❍ Jan. 8 roundup: Grosse Pointe South boys, girls Free Press Apps for committee hearings on blight, education days basketball gain victories iPhone, Android now Contact SYLVIA RECTOR at 313-222-5026 or [email protected] available. Shawn Windsor: Michigan football's great ❍ House OKs bill to cut down on car ❍ Transcript of chat with recruiting expert Sean ● Yesterday, Jan. 08 expectations, stubbornness led to Al Borges' fall dealer paperwork Merriman Read more ● Tuesday, Jan. 07 from grace ❍ Michigan wolf hunt report to be ❍ Recruiting: WR Harris among seven Wolverines ● Monday, Jan. 06 3. Police: Oklahoma man, 33, killed stepfather with discussed by wildlife biologists to enroll early ● Sunday, Jan. 05 'atomic wedgie' ❍ Multi-lingual? Michigan courts searching ❍ Mick McCabe's high school boys basketball ● Saturday, Jan. 04 4. Deported for the holidays: Guatemalan sent back for interpreters rankings ● Friday, Jan. 03 after 2 decades, 5 children ❍ Editorial: Make it easier for Michigan to ❍ Mick McCabe's high school girls basketball ● Thursday, Jan. 02 5. Big Ten Network analyst Gerry DiNardo: Michigan vote absentee rankings Mike Thompson: Dennis Rodman Sign up for home serenades North Korea's Kim Jong Un firing Al Borges was 'easiest thing to do' to move See our paid archives delivery today. ❍ Mick McCabe: In battle of states' best, Chicago on for news older than a Curie cured by Muskegon More: Cartoons | Animations 6. Mike Munchak says he had 'great' interview with week. ❍ Five prep basketball players who were brightest Detroit Lions during holidays 7. Michigan dismisses offensive coordinator Al Borges; recruits react

Site Map | Back to Top

● NEWS ● SPORTS ● MICHIGAN BUSINESS ● ENTERTAINMENT ● HELP ● FOLLOW US

● ● ● ● ● Politics Lions Auto news Music Advertise ● Twitter

● Detroit ● Tigers ● Auto reviews ● Restaurants ● Archives ● Facebook

● Wayne County ● Red Wings ● General Motors ● Movies ● Contact us ● Mobile ● Oakland County ● Pistons ● Ford ● Arts ● Subscriber services ● RSS ● Macomb County ● Wolverines ● Chrysler ● TV and radio ● e-Edition

● E-mail Alerts ● Metro Detroit ● Spartans ● Detroit auto show ● Names & Faces ● Got a question?

● Michigan ● High School Sports ● Real estate ● Sylvia Rector ● Detroit Newspapers in Education ● Nation/World ● Mitch Albom ● Michigan House Envy ● Julie Hinds

● Bookstore ● Rochelle Riley ● Drew Sharp ● Tom Walsh ● Mark Stryker

● Reading Works ● Eric Millikin ● Jeff Seidel ● Susan Tompor ● Rachel May

● Free Press Charities ● Weather ● Outdoors ● Mark Phelan

● Page and photo reprints ● Golf ● Nation/world business ● LIFE ● Olympics ● Food ● BETTER MICHIGAN ● Free Press marathon ● Travel ● Editorials ● Auto Racing ● Health ● Letters to the editor

● Shopping ● OBITS ● Commentary

● Crossword puzzle ● Death Notices ● Mike Thompson cartoons

● Comics ● Submit a Death Notice ● Stephen Henderson

● Technology ● Brian Dickerson

● Relationships ● Columnists

● Books

● Georgea Kovanis

● Ellen Creager

● Susan M. Selasky