Archive for the ‘Chef’ Category
For the 2010 Sunkist Citrus Challenge, hundreds of at-home chefs across the country proved that a splash of citrus can spice up any meal and inspire flavorful, fun and quick creations that any cook would be eager to share.
The national contest called for amateur chefs to enter their recipes in three categories: Entree, Quick & Easy and Citrus Celebre. Entrants from nearly 30 states submitted their signature, citrus-inspired recipes.
After much blending, sauteing, stirring and simmering, official Sunkist Citrus Challenge judges announced in March that they had discovered three excellent recipes bursting with citrus flavor. The winning chefs were Lisa Keys of Middlebury, Conn., Edwina Gadsby of Great Falls, Mt., and Nikki Norman of Milton, Tenn.
“It’s a delight to see how the premium great taste and versatility of citrus inspired such creativity in the kitchen,” said chef Nancy Swinney, one of the contest’s head judges.
The winning recipes were evaluated by a panel of judges using the official criteria – taste, ease of preparation and accordance with a fun, wholesome and healthy lifestyle. Each winning chef was awarded $2,000 and a bounty of fresh Sunkist citrus fruit in order to continue treating friends and family to their flavorful recipes.
Keys submitted her Fire & Ice Citrus Steaks & Salsa recipe for the contest’s Entree category, putting a distinctive spin on grilled steaks and typical salsa. This recipe calls for rib-eye steaks to be marinated in a delicate blend consisting of Moro orange juice and later grilled and smothered with a spicy and juicy salsa of navel oranges, jalapenos, tomatoes and cilantro.
Gadsby’s Asian Citrus Salmon Rolls, winner in the Quick & Easy category, is perfect for cooks who are running short on time. The salmon is marinated in a blend of juices, including orange and grapefruit, and hoisin sauce, Asian garlic chili sauce and Oriental sesame oil. The salmon is served inside fresh red-leaf lettuce and can be dipped in the citrus marinade sauce.
Norman’s Warm Lemon-Basil “Martini” Cake with Toasted-Spice Citrus Tartar, submitted in the Citrus Celebre category, features enough citrus to dazzle the taste buds. It’s topped with a combination of cinnamon, Minneola tangelos and Moro oranges. The outcome is a citrus-infused dessert served in a martini glass and topped with a turbinado sugar-coated rim.
Oprah has a personal chef, as do most Hollywood celebs. But surely a personal chef is a luxury that only the rich and famous can afford, right? Not so fast. You may be surprised at how easy – and affordable – it is to hire a chef in Atlanta. Here are answers to five common questions about an Atlanta personal chef.
1. Does a personal chef come in every day to cook?
Typically, north Georgia chefs come into your home one day a week to cook, although in some instances you can book a chef in Atlanta who will come into your home several times each week. It’s a more common practice to find a chef who will come in and cook, and leave a variety of meals stored in the refrigerator or freezer for upcoming days.
2. Do I have to do all of the grocery shopping?
One of the beautiful things about Atlanta personal chefs is that they do all of the shopping for the meals they prepare. This not only ensures that the chefs will have the ingredients they need, but that the meals they create are made with the freshest meats, poultry, fish, and produce.
3. Do I have to have professional kitchen tools?
When you hire a personal chef, she or he will have everything needed to prepare your meals. You don’t need to have any special appliances or tools in order for the chef to work in your kitchen.
4. What if the chef prepares something my family doesn’t like?
In home chefs are called “personal chefs” for a reason – they want you to enjoy the foods they prepare. To that end, they will meet with you in order to determine your food preferences, and plan menus accordingly. They’ll go over the menus with you, and if you don’t care for a menu item, a good chef will substitute something that your family will enjoy.
5. How much does a personal chef cost?
While the chefs of Georgia each have their own pricing, it’s common for them to offer package pricing. For example, a package that covers dinner for two people for five days (an entree and two side dishes for each meal) might run $179, while a package that will feed four people for five days might run $339. These prices include the food, as well as the preparation and storage.
For some people, having a personal chef for everyday meals might seem like an extravagance, while for others it can be a lifesaver. Many people use private event chefs in Atlanta for business gatherings, while others use private party chefs as they might use a caterer for an in-home dinner party.
The bottom line is that you don’t have to be a celeb to hire an Atlanta personal chef to create delicious, nutritious dishes in your home. Best of all, your chef will bring everything he or she needs, and will clean up before leaving! You can simply relax and enjoy scrumptious food in the comfort of your own home.
On the surface, preparing a good meal seems straightforward. In practice, however, cooking and serving a nutritious and delicious meal can be difficult for people with dietary restrictions or who may have other special needs. That’s when in home chefs can be a godsend. Let’s look at three examples.
Food Allergies
If you look at the numbers, the chances are good that you or someone in your family has a food allergy. The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network notes that as many as 12 million Americans have food allergies. Granted, not all food allergies are life threatening. Still, consuming foods that one is allergic too can, over time, exacerbate the problem and trigger sensitivities to other allergens.
According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, the eight most common food allergies are: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, seafood, shellfish, soy, and wheat. If one person in your family is allergic to a common food, such as milk, eggs, or wheat, you can face a difficult choice: you can prepare allergen-free meals for everyone in the household, or cook a separate meal for the family member with a food allergy. Given how hectic our lives are these days, neither is a perfect solution.
That’s where an Atlanta personal chef can be of service. The services of Georgia chefs are less expensive than you might think, and you can hire a chef who will meet with you to discuss your family’s needs. Once you’ve communicated your concerns about food allergies, she can come up with menu ideas that can work for everyone in the family. Typically, she will then do the shopping and come into your home once each week to prepare several dinners, which she will then place in containers and refrigerate or freeze – and then she’ll clean up. You can either have her cook meals for the entire family, or for the person with special dietary needs.
Nutritious Food for the Weight Conscious
Seeing how Oprah Winfrey has successfully lost weight and kept if off is inspiring, but her personal chef and personal trainer most likely made a difficult process easier. If you’re fighting the battle of the bulge, a chef for hire can help you achieve your goals. An Atlanta personal chef can work with you to come up with menu ideas that will fit in with your diet – whether it’s low-calorie, low fat, or low-carb, and then prepare delicious and nutritious meals that you simply have to reheat.
Helping Seniors Remain Independent
If you have elderly parents, you undoubtedly understand their desire to live independently, but you may be concerned about their decreased appetites or their ability to prepare nutritious dinners every night. A personal chef can help out by coming in and cooking several meals at once, which will give you peace of mind and your parents delicious meals. Since she’ll also do the shopping and clean up, they won’t have to worry about those cumbersome chores.
Atlanta personal chefs can easily accommodate all of these situations, and many more. Whether you need meals that are low in salt, low in sugar, or tasty dishes that will tempt those with waning appetites, a personal chef can deliver an affordable solution.
