Volume 6 Spring 2009

The American Culinary Federation quarterly for students of cooking

Combining lamb with vegetables in this sous vide preparation allows mingling of flavors without the use of excess heat. It prevents the lean lamb from overcooking and drying out.

Fresh beans and peas make this dish appropriate for spring menus.

Slicing the lamb rack makes eating from a casserole easier for the guest.

Whole baby vegetables look natural, eliminate waste and save time.

Fresh herbs provide extra flavor.

Inside... All about attitude A study of Asian appetizers Personal , a viable career JOBS OF TOMORROW Get Personal Imagine a culinary career where you set your own hours, select your diners — and purchase ingredients on their dime — while potentially earning as much as six figures doing it. Personal chefs don’t have to dream about this career; they live it.

by Melanie Wolkoff Wachsman

iring a chef to workings of commercial Café, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, prepare meals was for the slower pace considers himself both a H once considered autonomy of home-based private and personal chef. “I a luxury reserved for the cuisine. Wallace estimates did not choose this profession, rich and famous. Times have 12,000 to 15,000 personal it chose me,” he says. Lowder changed. Ironically, it’s the chefs operate in the United responded to a blind “chef” “everyday” people personal States today, compared to newspaper ad that led to his chefs can thank for their 8,000 in 2005. first private-chef position. growing demand. “I enjoyed it so much that I “Personal chef has Personal versus private decided to make it my full- become part of the American The terms personal and private time career.” lexicon. The mainstream chef are often, incorrectly, Now, Lowder mainly public now knows more about used interchangeably. A provides dinner service to how to use a personal chef private chef, explains Wallace, families who own homes at the effectively and efficiently than is usually a full-time employee various resort communities they did 15 years ago,” says for one proprietary employer, along the Kona-Kohala coast Candy Wallace, executive who receives a regular of Hawaii’s Big Island. director, American Personal paycheck, prepares fresh Patrice Gerard, PCEC, Your & Private Chef Association meals daily and may live in the Private Chef in Portsmouth, (APPCA), San Diego. “The client’s home. (Oprah has a N.H., and Biddeford Pool, services of a personal chef private chef.) Personal chefs Maine, says he became a who provides meal support for own and operate their own personal chef “to utilize my busy professionals and their business, determine what level skills and experience in a families fits beautifully into of service they offer and select way that didn’t lock me in the need for palate-specific their clients. Personal chefs a or hotel for 70 meals prepared from fresh set their own work schedules hours a week.” His clients ingredients enjoyed at the and hours. They may have 10 include families, individuals, client’s leisure.” to 12 active clients. couples and corporations. The personal chef Devin Lowder, personal After reading about the industry continues to blossom certified executive chef APPCA and speaking with as professional chefs forgo (PCEC), chef/owner, Makali’i Wallace, Harvey Golden, PCEC, the high-pressure long-hour Catering Ltd. and Makali’i executive chef/owner, decided

20 | SIZZLE | Spring 2009 to leave corporate America The need for private chefs of the Naval Academy in his San Diego-based Enlisted to pursue a personal-chef even extends to the military. house, which is a great example Aide Brandon Parry, CEC, career. “I opened My Personal Culinary Specialist First of what you can do as a private PCEC, loves his position as Gourmet, My Personal Gourmet Class (SW) Michael Hanford, chef, he says, adding “One of an admiral’s private chef. “I Catering and a restaurant certified chef de cuisine (CCC), my favorite parts is having the get to very high-end named Gravy. I still cook as a certified pastry culinarian freedom to create and plan with amazing ingredients. It’s personal chef, teach classes (CPC), PCEC, is an enlisted menus and cook for all different living a dream,” he says. He and do in-home dinner parties,” aide in the United States Navy, kinds of events.” has produced everything from says Golden, who is based in stationed at the United States Private chefs in the U.S. small intimate formal dinners Loveland, Ohio. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Navy report to admirals and to receptions for 700. Golden describes his Md. He has worked as a private are responsible for events at clientele as “people who want chef for high-ranking officers the admiral’s house, taking Breaking in to eat great food but are very and international dignitaries on care of the upkeep of the Personal chef duties busy” and includes young board ships, at shore commands personal quarters and typically include grocery families, athletes, individuals and at their homes. Currently, preparations of daily meals shopping, menu planning, and the elderly. he works for the superintendent for the admiral’s family. recipe development, meal

Courtesy of the American Personal & Private Chef Association

Candy Wallace, founder and executive director of the American Personal & Private Chef Association, San Diego, (center) was honored as Sullivan University’s 33rd Distinguished Guest Chef last year by Tom Hickey, director of Sullivan University’s National Center for Hospitality Studies and Kimberley Jones, chair of the professional-catering degree program.

www.acfchefs.or g | 21 JOBS OF TOMORROW

preparation, writing handling eaten in the world’s finest and ingredient and cuisine society, and it is imperative instructions, clean- ,” Lowder says. knowledge — will lay the that both the client and the up and sometimes party “I read trade magazines and foundation for a successful personal chef are protected,” planning and formal affairs. food articles to stay current personal-chef career. Wallace says. Personal chefs must also and inspired.” Remember, personal chefs possess nutrition knowledge Unfortunately, a aren’t just cooks, but business Challenges and perks and be able to modify recipes personal-chef career is not owners. Gerard recommends While some chefs embrace for clients with high blood recommended for the new researching business the self-employed status, pressure, allergies, wheat/ graduate. “You need to be laws and regulations and working alone — and for gluten intolerance, diabetes seasoned and work the line networking with personal-chef multiple clients — is not and diets such as Weight at a restaurant first. It took organizations before starting for everyone. “You need to Watchers, South Beach or me 15 years to gain enough your own business. “Besides check your ego at the door,” vegan and vegetarian. experience to do this,” being a good cook, you have Parry says. “If a client wants Possessing a strong Parry says. to be a good marketer, self- meatloaf every night, that’s understanding of world Don’t dismiss the promoter and small-business what you cook them.” cuisine and cooking trends culinary degree. Many skills manager. You are the product On the flipside, being your is essential. “You can never acquired during culinary being marketed,” he says. own boss provides tremendous forget that your clients school — such as good knife, Liability insurance is a freedom. You determine how are well-traveled and have cooking and sanitation skills must. “We live in a litigious frequently you work and

A Certifiable Profession Courtesy of Harvey Golden

The American Culinary Federation (ACF) and American Personal & Private Chef Association (APPCA) began offering personal certified chef (PCC) and personal certified executive chef (PCEC) certifications in 2004.

Certification signifies that the personal chef career path is indeed viable, says Candy Wallace, executive director, APPCA, San Diego. How does one qualify to become a PCC- or a PCEC-certified chef? According to ACF director of education and professional development Kristy Begley, a PCC is a chef who is engaged in the preparation, cooking and serving of foods on a “cook-for-hire” basis. The individual must also have knowledge in menu planning, marketing, financial mangement and operational decision making and must have at least three years of cooking experience and one year of personal-chef experience.

The PCEC certification is available to advanced chefs who fulfill all of the same requirements as a PCC-certified chef, but must have at least three years experice as a personal chef.

Harvey Golden, PCEC, executive chef/owner, My Personal Gourmet, My Personal Gourmet Catering and Gravy, Loveland, Ohio, believes certification sets him apart from other personal chefs. “It lets my After learning about the American Personal & Private Chef clients know that I care enough about them to study and take the Association, Harvey Golden (center), PCEC, decided to leave necessary steps to become certified,” he says. corporate America to pursue a personal-chef career and opened “Certification lends credibility when meeting new and potential My Personal Gourmet, My Personal Gourmet Catering and a clients. It has definitely furthered my career,” adds Devin Lowder, restaurant named Gravy. He cooks as a personal chef, teaches PCEC, chef/owner, Makali’i Catering Ltd. and Makali’i Café, classes and does in-home dinner parties. Here he works with Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. client, Jerri Sthrom and employee Moises Galindo.

22 | SIZZLE | Spring 2009 for whom. You control your paid to shop, cook and nurture earnings level by the number and are operating our own of clients you serve and the small businesses.” level of service provided. The And personal chefs are national-average earnings paid to make a difference of a personal chef providing in their client’s life. “The Monday-through-Friday meal personal connection with my support for one client daily clients is the best part of the ranges between $60,000 to job,” Golden says. ■ $70,000, but can be as high as six figures, Wallace says. Melanie Wolkoff Wachsman is “I make in one evening what based in Louisville, Ky. I used to make in one week cooking for 20,” Gerard says. “Life as a personal chef is satisfying on a spiritual, as well as a financial, level and is relatively easy to start up,” says Wallace. “We are literally