Private Chef

A master without the proper tools is ill-prepared. A private chef must desire to be personally involved beyond the kitchen. His or her informed and discriminating choices are vital tools in the market place.

An integral part of proper preparation, the chef should know precisely what the kitchen holds. Routine inventory to affirm stock and freshness will assure never being short an ingredient. The size of the household will determine how frequently this inventory is needed. However, that schedule should be strictly adhered to in order to maintain authoritative knowledge of available resources.

This schedule should also include frequent trips to the market place. A fortunate chef will be able to attend to this task personally. After all, his or her knowledge will be just as necessary there as in the kitchen and will not easily be replaced by anyone else. Who else but the chef will know the slight variations brought about by varying regions, growers or brands? All oils do not cook equally, nor do all produce taste the same. Even slight variations in color, texture and scent may indicate something to a trained chef that would not be evident to anyone else. These details cannot be communicated over the phone or via text. So it is an undeniable pleasure for the chef to shape each dish from the time the ingredients are purchased.

Again, the size of a household may dictate different circumstances. Some chefs may find it necessary to entrust shopping and procurement to another staff member. He or she will find it to their great advantage to know the market place from their own experience. Specificity will save everyone involved a great deal of uncertainty and consternation. It may benefit everyone involved if the private chef accompanies whomever will be entrusted with this task at least once so that all essential information and insight may be imparted. Proper communication on behalf of the chef to the staff will determine success.

As always, it is the responsibility of the chef to know the kitchen is well-stocked with the essential ingredients. Inspecting each item as it is brought into the kitchen to make sure the correct purchase has been made will assure this.

If you enjoy the satisfaction that comes with being personally involved in every facet of being a private chef, J. Danielle & Co. would like to help you find your next opportunity. For ten years, we have worked to place the very best from the culinary field into homes and institutions where they may showcase their talents and find the greatest career satisfaction imaginable. Click here to find your next opportunity.

A kitchen lives and breathes. It responds and flourishes when well cared for and maintained, just as the body does. It may reach a level of Olympic superiority but not without the knowledgeable care and oversight of a devoted private chef.

The meticulous service and upkeep provided by a true chef is unrivaled. In return, the kitchen yields excellence. But there is no room for neglect.  Maintenance of every aspect of the kitchen, from the drawers to the refrigerator, is dependent upon the meticulous eye of the private chef. Appliances should be repaired or replaced before being allowed to breakdown. Cooling systems must be closely regulated and cared for. The chef is a fearless advocate and defender of the kitchen.

However, it must always be remembered that the kitchen belongs to the employer. It is commendable to have an order and purpose for everything that lies therein. Still, the chef is always gracious and accommodating in the presence of the employer and their guests, even when it disrupts the established order. After all, this is the art of being a private chef, to continuously and unerringly anticipate and meet the needs of another.

Another member of the staff may lend a hand cleaning or keeping the kitchen in its state of excellence from time to time. It is important to know the responsibility still rests with the chef. Be sure to communicate kindly what is required so that the standards of the kitchen are well-known and understood. After all, the kitchen is as much a reflection of the chef as it is the family.

It should reflect well-deserved pride.

If you have the precision and care a private chef requires, J. Danielle & Co. would like to help you find your next opportunity. For ten years, we have worked to place the very best from the culinary field into homes and institutions where they may showcase their talents and find the greatest career satisfaction imaginable. Click here for your next opportunity.