As a personal
chef, you’re always on the lookout
for tools that can help you save
time and money and set you apart
from the competition. One way to do
all three is to invest in a
FoodSaver®, America’s number one
selling home vacuum packaging
system. Personal chefs have common
challenges:
Thanks to a new
partnership between APCA and
Colorado Prime Foods, you can give
your clients a terrific gourmet
dining experience, enhance your
creativity, spend less time on the
details and enjoy a wide range of
benefits…and make more money!
“WHAT IS IT?” is
usually the first question that pops
up in someone’s head as they enter
into the food container paradise of
their refrigerator, right? The
second question would be “When was
it prepared?” Well, with those two
questions Chef Prep Labels has got
it covered.
When a food makes it to Sam’s or
Costco, you may say it “has
arrived”. If that’s the case, salmon
has not only arrived, but (with all
the grace of being) socially late.
Salmon is to the new millennium,
what canned soup was to the fifties.
Farmed salmon, that is. It’s the
best thing to hit the supermarket
since boneless skinless chicken
breasts. It’s available just about
anywhere–from Boise to Baton Rouge;
it’s economical, sometimes costing
as little as 2.99 a pound; it’s
season less, just as plentiful in
winter as it is in the summer; and
it’s heart healthy with loads of
omega-3 fatty acids, something
chicken breasts can’t claim. So
what’s not to like?
The Opening Night cocktail party at
this year’s Summit in Minneapolis
was planned and prepared by the
Chicago land APCA Chapter with
assistance from our Minneapolis host
chef, lovely and loving Judie
McLellan.
Many Personal Chefs choose to
specialize in one area or another with the service
that they provide to their clients. When I started
my Personal chef business in 1997 I found that the
clients I was attracting seemed to be urban singles
and suburban couples with one thing in common. That
common link was their interest in health and
wellness. Weight loss was also big factor. Most are
interested in organics or in adding extra vegetables
to their diets. The no preservatives, additives or
chemicals is a big selling point with people looking
for a chef service from a health perspective.
Convenience is just a side benefit; their main
concern is the healthy, prepared from scratch meals
that you will prepare using wholesome ingredients
and nothing that has too many syllables to
pronounce!
I don’t know about all of you, but I
can’t wait to get there, and start
checking out the food scene. Denny
and I are going to go early and
spend July 4th in New Orleans, and
you’re all welcome to join us. I’ll
bet the fireworks and music and food
will all be fabulous!
There are articles and photos in
this issue from this year’s Summit
in Minneapolis.
What a great conference it was.
Those of you who were unable to be
with us can see some of the shots of
your colleagues enjoying the
conference, and meet some of our
sponsors from the info fair. We had
an opportunity to meet them in
person, taste and test their
products and ask questions. The
sponsors were wonderful to come and
spend the day with us. We want all
of our APCA members to have the
opportunity to get to know them as
well, so enjoy the articles in this
issue, and don’t hesitate to check
out the products on the sponsor page
of the website.
There is news on ACF certification
for those interested in applying. We
have added the new ACF certification
level of Certified Culinarian as the
base certification level for ACF
certification. Those members who
have completed a 2 year culinary
program or have accumulated
sufficient points and have 2 years
of experience operating a personal
chef service qualify for application
at this level. The specifics on this
new certification level should be
posted on the ACF website shortly.
APCA will be offering a personal
chef certificate to members who pass
a personal chef specific written
exam and who have been successfully
operating a personal chef service
for 2 years and adhere to the
international code of ethics. The
first exam will be offered at the
Summit in New Orleans. Watch for
more information on the Member’s
Forums and in future issues of the
newsletter.
We wish all of you the joy of the
holiday season and look forward to
working with you again in the New
Year. The growth of this industry
has been phenomenal, and a
significant part of that growth is
due to the commitment of personal
chefs like you. I’m so proud to be
one of you.
Happy Holidays to you all, and a
prosperous 2005!
When a food makes it to Sam’s or
Costco, you may say it “has
arrived”. If that’s the case, salmon
has not only arrived, but (with all
the grace of being) socially late.
Salmon is to the new millennium,
what canned soup was to the fifties.
Farmed salmon, that is. It’s the
best thing to hit the supermarket
since boneless skinless chicken
breasts. It’s available just about
anywhere–from Boise to Baton Rouge;
it’s economical, sometimes costing
as little as 2.99 a pound; it’s
season less, just as plentiful in
winter as it is in the summer; and
it’s heart healthy with loads of
omega-3 fatty acids, something
chicken breasts can’t claim. So
what’s not to like?
