WJBC Cookbook: Become your own Personal Chef

Have you ever thought about hiring someone to come into your home and make you a fabulous breakfast, yummy lunch or savory dinner?

Some just want a lesson in shopping for groceries that are fresh and flavorful. Others are too overwhelmed with life to care about the specifics and just want to know there is party ready food for the baby shower or office gathering they are in charge of running at their residence.  All of these reasons are why you may consider calling a personal chef.

Feb. 26 is National Personal Chef Day. We celebrate the fast growing profession of personal cooks by talking to highly acclaimed author and personal chef, Linda Weiss. Weiss offers all those services in addition to in home cooking parties and classes and weekly menu development.

Below you will find a recipe from Linda Weiss collection that you can have prepared by your personal chef or yourself if you can’t seem to find a personal chef in your kitchen anytime soon.

The United States Personal Chef Association has suggested when looking for chefs find one that will provide healthful, delicious and nutritious meals at affordable prices. They also encourage their chefs to provide prompt return of e-mail and phone calls and safety in food storage.

Visit Linda Weiss at her website HERE.

Hear Patti Penn interview Linda Weiss below:

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Patti Penn can be reached at patti@wjbc.com.

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I remember my Aunt Veronica as being the most beautiful person in the world.  Her hair was silky smooth, her makeup was as striking as Elizabeth Taylor and she smelled like roses.  We would play cards in her kitchen while her personal chef would prepare our next meal.  Personal Chef?  I had no idea what that was when I was a child but now as and adult I realize how blessed she was.  It was homemade pancakes at breakfast, chopped ham sandwiches for lunch and peach basted pork roast with little seasoned potatoes for supper.  Heaven!

I never thought of the personal chef as a maid or servant because she only came a few times a week to prepare meals that could easily be popped in the oven as needed for my Aunt Veronica and her family.  I often told my Mother (having 6 children in our house) that she needed one of those.  She would laugh and tell me she was the personal chef at our house all while pulling out her cookbook and preparing our next family meal.

I get it now….I am the personal chef at my house too!  And that brings me to the recipe I have shared below.  It can be prepared ahead and frozen for you to use on a day when you wish you had a personal chef to come over to your house too.  Enjoy!

~Patti Penn

Make ahead Chicken Tetrazzini

3 ½ C. Cooked Diced Chicken

6 C. Cooked Spaghetti

½ C. Chopped Onion

4 T. Fresh Parsley

½ C. Water

¼ T. Pepper

3 C. Condensed Mushroom or Celery Soup

4 oz. Diced Pimento

1 ½ C. Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Add all of the above ingredients into a one gallon freezer zip lock bag and seal the bag, removing all of the excess air and freeze. Thaw completely in refrigerator pour into 9×13 inch baking pan. Stir thoroughly to combine and bake in 350 degree oven for 25-35 minutes.

Serve with a bag salad or steamed broccoli with lemon butter sauce and French bread.

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Linda’s Tomato Pie

1 pre-baked 9-inch pie crust*

1 1/2 to 2 ripe tomatoes, peeled

1 tablespoon dried basil or 3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

1 small to medium sweet onion, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar

3/4 to 1 cup mayonnaise

Salt and Pepper to taste

Blind Bake the pie crust according to package directions.  Slice peeled tomatoes into 1/2 t0 3/4-inch slices. Set tomato slices on a paper towel to drain while chopping onions.  When ready, place tomato slices on pie shell making only ONE layer of tomatoes. Top the tomatoes with the chopped onions. Sprinkle with basil. Salt and pepper to taste.  Mix cheddar cheese and mayonnaise. Spread mayo mixture from edge to edge on top of the onion mixture. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until top is bubbly and cooked through.  Wait 20 minutes before serving.  For tea parties, use small tart shells and make small tomato pies.