Shhhhh….

The secret is out.

“10 hottest emerging careers that you might not know about”  

Business Week

Entrepreneur Magazine

Industry Facts - courtesy of Ted Can Cook

Two years ago when I started talking about becoming a Personal Chef, everyone looked at me like I was crazy. Who leaves a lucrative job with a good company to pursue a career that no one has heard of ?  Actually,  once I explained what a Personal Chef was, every reaction I got was positive…even from my mom who is notoriously negative. I got reactions that ranged from “Wow, what a really great concept. I could use a Personal Chef myself” to “I would love to do that for a living”.

I had a hysterectomy in April of 2006 and I spent my six weeks of recovery time creating a life plan for myself.  I read about the Personal Chef career and knew immediately that it was for me. I spent the next two years formulating a business plan, collecting recipes and paying down my debt. In April of 2008 when my company offered a Voluntary Separation Package - I knew it was my time. Thankfully my family agreed and encouraged me to go for it.  

I’m always amazed that this hasn’t taken off in the Kansas City area yet. There are a few successful PC’s in the area but in general most people still don’t know what Personal Chef is or how it benefits them. In Midwest terms “The fields are ripe and the harvest is plentiful.” and I’m planning on reaping.

Thankfully my severance package from Sprint, is allowing me to take my time. I’m currently taking classes from the Culinary Business Academy, cooking at reduced rates for friends and family and getting all my ducks in a row, so to speak. I’ve also reached out to Anton at Wines for Humanity to see about a becoming a consultant. An opportunity that would pair perfectly with my PC business.   We have a vacation scheduled for the first week in June. When we get back that is my cue to start full force and make this thing work. I’m so excited and relatively calm for a person who’s steady paycheck is slowly fading away.

I am by nature a person who can stress about anything but this opportunity has so many positives that I having trouble finding a downside.  Now if the Internet would just keep quiet about what a fantastic opportunity this is so I can have a clear playing field, I would appreciate it. I don’t want you all quitting your jobs to become my competition.  Just kidding, in Kansas City  there are enough  busy, hungry, stressed families looking for relief, to go around!

Cheers

I love to cook, but I generally don’t enjoy baking..until now. This is my kind of cake. It’s uber easy and m so moist and delicious. Made with my favorite beverage to boot!

Guinness Cake

Recipe: Chocolate Guinness Cake

For the cake:
Butter for pan
1 cup Guinness stout
10 tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
 3/8 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups superfine sugar
 3/8 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

For the topping:
1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
 1/2 cup heavy cream.

1. For the cake: heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform
pan and line with parchment paper. In a large saucepan, combine
Guinness and butter. Place over medium-low heat until butter melts,
then remove from heat. Add cocoa and superfine sugar, and whisk to
blend.

2. In a small bowl, combine sour cream, eggs and vanilla; mix well.
Add to Guinness mixture. Add flour and baking soda, and whisk again
until smooth. Pour into buttered pan, and bake until risen and firm,
45 minutes to one hour. Place pan on a wire rack and cool completely
in pan.

3. For the topping: Using a food processor or by hand, mix
confectioners’ sugar to break up lumps. Add cream cheese and blend
until smooth. Add heavy cream, and mix until smooth and spreadable.

4. Remove cake from pan and place on a platter or cake stand. Ice top

Blogging While I Can

Who knows when I will be back. I’m going to blog twice today, only because I just made a a quick lunch and I thought I would share.  Sooo easy and really quite good. I took a chicken breast, sliced it in the middle(not all the way through) and stuffed it with Pesto and Asiago Cheese. ( I had a prepared bottle of pesto and asigo on hand) Parmesan would be yummy too. Sundried tomatoes would be fantastic so throw some in if you have them (I didn’t)

I picked up a little Foreman Grill for 7 bucks last week and wanted to try it out, so I  brushed the stuffed chicken with olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper and put in on the grill. It only took about 6 minutes and voila:

 

Not bad for a 6 minute meal!

Spring has Sprung

Ok, Not a very original title, but I needed to say it out loud to believe it since my cold toes think it is still December.  Our temperatures have been consistently below normal this spring but it has not kept the tell-tale signs of spring from blossoming.

Speaking of Blossoming -Proof of Spring Exhibit A

My Apple Tree

Exhibt B

Love is in the air as shown by my oldest son and his adorable girlfriend

Exhibit C

My middle son celebrated his 17th birthday this weekend with his friends, by laying down some tracks on their CD and playing video games

Exhibit D

My baby headed off to prom

Ok, toes! Do you need anymore proof. It’s here. I promise!!

I still haven’t been able to plant much due to the frost warnings. I’ve got a few herbs growing in pots but my veggies are still in packets on the kitchen table. 

Update -I took my first certification class from the USPCA (United States Personal Chef Association) and should be getting the results in a couple of days. Keeping my fingers crossed!

 

Meatloaf that even I will devour

 

 

 

I have always HATED meatloaf. No, not Micheal Lee Aday, but that greasy on the outside - dry on the inside, covered in ketchup, staple that was on most of our dinner tables growing up.

I know I am in the minority, as it’s a Midwest comfort food staple. I was determined to find a recipe I could enjoy. How could I possibly cook a meatloaf for my clients if the very thought of it repulsed me? Then, I found a recipe for a meatloaf served at the once thriving 72 Market Street, restaurant in Venice, CA. I made few changes to suit my tastes and EUREKA, I have found what I think is the perfect meatloaf recipe.  It is absolutely delicious and I have never said that about meatloaf. 

1 tablespoon butter
 3/4 cup minced white onion
1/2 cup minced carrot
1/2 cup minced celery
1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
1/4 cup minced green bell pepper
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cumin
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup half and half
1 pounds lean ground beef
1 pound ground lamb (this is a must)
3 /4 cup prepared bread crumbs
 
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Sautee the onions, carrots, celery, bell peppers, and garlic until soft. Let the mixture cool to room temp
3. Get a big bowl and mix all ingredients, including veggie mixture with well with your hands
4. Press the mixture into a loaf pan; place that loaf pan inside of a larger pan (11×13”). Fill the outside pan with water about half way.
5.  Place the meat in a baking dish, and place the dish inside a larger pan. Pour boiling water into the larger pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the baking dish.
6. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
7. Remove the loaf pan from the water pan and let cool for 15 mins or so to cool.  TIP – I have a mini loaf pan that makes six little loaves. I made a batch of mini-meatloaves and froze them for quick individual dinners/lunches.  

I made my own red sauce for this dish, but I will try the restaurants recipe for gravy soon. It looks delish!

 

Gravy 
2 tablespoons butter
4 shallots, minced
1 sprig thyme
1 bay leaf
Dash of crushed peppercorns
1/4 cup chopped red bell peppers
1/4 cup chopped yellow bell peppers
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup veal or beef stock
1 cup chicken stock
2 Roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
Salt and pepper1. In a heavy pan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter, and sauté the shallots, thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns, and red and yellow bell peppers over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. 
2. Add the wine and simmer over high heat until reduced by three-fourths, to make a glaze. 
3. Add the beef stock and chicken stock, and simmer, uncovered, over high heat until reduced by one-fourth. 
4. Add the tomatoes and bring to a slow simmer. Cook, covered, for 20 minutes. 
5. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. 
6. Strain, discarding bay leaf and thyme before serving.

 

45 Days Later

Time really does fly when your having fun! I’ve been very busy this last month and a half. Blogging is very far down on my priority list right now. I’m working my coroporate job until March 28th and trying to get my new business off the ground. Add that to the kids busy schedules, the housework that I’m failing miserably at and a wonderfully active social life and there isn’t much time left for putting two sentences together.

I had my first cook date for my first official client on Monday. It was exciting, but much more nerve racking than I expected. It was a great learning experience though. First and foremost I learned that I’ve GOT TO BE MORE ORGANIZED.  That’s not one of my strong points, but it was the cause of most of my stress.  I also learned that I will need to insure my temporary office (the client’s kitchen), will not be invaded by nannnies, babies and a cleaning crew. Their interuptions really threw me off my game for a while. Thank God, I’m used to cooking with three kids, two dogs, two cats and a husband in the kitchen. The only difference is at my home, I can tell them all to GET OUT OF MY KITCHEN!

For my cleint’s first week I made them:

1. Filet Medallions in a Wine and Wild Mushroom Sauce with Roasted Garlic mashed Potatoes, Balsamic Buttered Green Beans 2. Caribbean Jerk Chicken with Spinach/Strawberry Salad and Brown Rice 3. Pecan Crusted Tilapia with Wild Rice Pilaf and Steamed Vegetables 4 Chicken Enchiladas in Chipolte Red Sauce with black bean and yellow rice 
5. Barbequed Pulled Pork with curry spiced butter buns and roasted Potato Fingerlings, and Southwestern Corn

 

She called me on her cell phone as soon as she walked in the door to tell me how amazing her house smelled and then contacted me the next day to say how much her family enjoyed their first meal. Success!! 

My husband who has no web design experience is creating my website and  he’s doing an incredible job. Even if he does make me laugh when he’s taking my picture causing my eyes to completely disappear.
http://www.venusinthekitchen.com/

 We have 6 months to make this into a viable business or back to the corporate world I will go.  Wish me luck!

The Zen of Cooking- Lucille Naimer

I found this wonderful gem thrift shopping today.  Creative cooking with and without recipes.  I can’t wait to savor every word.It’s filled with wonderful Zen quotes, cooking tips and recipes. Here’s a quote from the books jacket

“Cooking can be one of the most sensual and transcendent activities we experience—every combination of ingredients yields a new gastronomic result for our senses of taste, touch, smell, sight, and even hearing to enjoy. The Zen of cooking means entering a creative “flow” and gaining a complete focus on the activity of cooking”

What I love most is that it gives you some fabulous recipes but encourages you to make them your own. That’s my kind of cooking!

I tried a couple of new recipes tonight. (Not from the Zen cookbook)They were a big hit with the boys.  I made a balsamic chicken and mushrooms and served it with a Pommes Anna and Green-beans with Roasted Red Peppers. The pictures don’t do them justice - but I would encourage you to try this one. And taking a Zen tip from the cookbook - make it your own. I think next time I will use white balsamic vinegar and bell peppers in place of mushrooms- YUM!

Balsamic Chicken and Mushrooms

4 chicken breasts
1lb mushrooms, sliced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
balsamic vinegar
Chicken Broth
Thyme
Bay Leaf
salt, pepper, flour and olive oil

Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper, dredge in flour and brown in a skillet with oil. Once the chicken is nice and brown add the rest of the ingredients, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until chicken is done. I removed the chicken and thickened the sauce with a cornstarch and cold water and then poured over the chicken. (BTW- if you are going to freeze the sauce omit the cornstarch)

Chasing the dream…

I did it.

My company offered up a voluntary separation package today, to cut workforce numbers and I applied for it. I am leaving the corporate jungle to follow my passions. The VSP will provide me with 6 months of pay and benefits, so I have a small safety net, but I can’t say I’m not scared to death. On the other hand I’ve never felt more exhilarated. This is my chance and I’m taking it.

 

As I’ve mentioned before nothing makes me happier than being in the kitchen and serving people. I’ve been in the role of “mom” since I was 8 and it’s a role I quite enjoy. So after a few years of dreaming and a few months of planning I am moving from Project Manager II to “Personal Chef”.

I’m taking classes to get certified and will be registered with the USPCA

If my VSP is approved (and it should be) I will be leaving my job in early March.

Wish me luck on my new adventure!

Eat Drink Man Women

As previously mentioned I’m catching up on my food porn movies this month. Yesterday sitting in my mailbox, courtesy of NetFlix was the movie Yin shi nan nu also known as “Eat Drink Man Woman” -Ang Lee. 

The film itself even with out the blow your mind food scenes is delightful. You fall in love with all of the characters and the story is humourous and endearing, but HOLY COW - the food scenes made my tear up with jealousy.

The master chef made me want to hang my head in shame. WOW! If you are a foodie at all you MUST see this film.

This is just the opening scene and it only gets better!
The picture quality isn’t very good on this youtube clip

FYI - Video is not for vegetarians.

Koolickles

Oh yes you heard me correctly. I guess this is a food fad that is crossing the nation, and as usual, by living in the Midwest, I’m always the last to know. 

 I was siting on my couch this evening preparing next weeks menu with Alton Brown playing in the background.  I wasn’t paying much attention because the thought of pickling makes me miss my garden and spring is still months away.  As I studied recipes and typed away I glanced up and saw Alton adding packages of Kool-Aid to a jar of pickles, needless to say that got my attention. 

So I googled for the recipe and came up with “Koolicles” I love the combination of sweet and sour so this sounds grotesquely intriguing. Apparently these oddities are gaining so much popularity that according to Trend magizine they are already beginning to be professionally manufactured, bottled and sold.

The recipes seem to differ and I can’t find Alton’s.  I think I’m going to combine a few different ones.

Jar of dill pickles
2 Packages of Kool-aid
4 cups of sugar

Pour out pickle juice, mix a couple 2 cups water, the drink mix and sugar. Pour into pickle jars. Let sit in fridge for at least 24 hours.

I’ll let you know how they turn out because I now have Pickles and Jamacian Flavored Kool-Aid added to my weekly grocery list!