About West PA Chefs
West PA Chefs is a group of Independently owned and operated Personal Chef Services providing Customized Meal Solutions to a variety of clients in Western PA and bordering counties in Eastern OH and the Northern Panhandle of WV.
The group meets at least 6 times per year to provide support, networking and continuing education opportunities to its member chefs and is open to all personal chefs in the region regardless of national association affiliation.
If you are interested in becoming a personal chef and would like more information on Personal Chef Training options, please visit the Culinary Business Academy website at CulinaryBusiness.com.
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Can You Afford NOT To?
Completely sober!
by Chef Shane Russo - Russo’s Cooking Personal Chef Service
The first question I get from people when I tell them I am a Personal Chef is “What is that?” After explaining what it is a I do the reaction is almost always the same: “That is a great idea! I wish I could afford something like that!” The truth of the matter is that hiring a Personal Chef is far more affordable than you think.
When thinking about affordability you need to consider the cost of everything. So I’m going to break down what is actually incorporated into the cost of hiring your own Personal Chef:
- Menu Planning: Average time spent – 1 hour/week. One of the biggest reasons Americans go out to eat as much as we do is the simple fact that we do not plan ahead. Figuring out WHAT to make doesn’t take a ton of time but it is one of those things no one wants to do.
- Clipping Coupons: Average time spent – 2 hours/week. Let’s say you are one of those people that takes the time every week to plan out your meals. The best way to get the most out of your dollar is to find the best deals. This includes looking through all the ads every week and that time adds up.
- Grocery Shopping: Average time spent – 2.5 hours/week. You may not think that you spend this much time in a grocery store but most people actually spend more. First there is the time driving to and from the store itself. Then there is the time spent locating the items. Finally, and probably the worst part, is standing in the long line at the check out. Yes, they have self check outs now but how many times have you gone up to one of those, thinking you were going to be out in no time, just to find yourself waiting behind a person that made that blasted light blink for a customer service person! That is just one trip. How many trips to the store do you make each week?
- Restaurant Time/Costs: Average time spent – 4 hours/week. If you decide to go out to a restaurant instead of cooking at home you then run into a whole new set of issues. If you go during the week then you may not encounter the wait. But if, like most people, you choose to go on the weekends then this wait is often even longer than the 30 minute average. That is just the time spent waiting for a table. Then you get the crap-shoot of servers. Will he be having a good day? You are limited by the selections on the menu and just try to make a substitution and see how happy they are. In Youngstown, your average dinner check is going to be in the $25-45 range (tax and drinks included) for 2 people and more if you add on appetizers and desserts. Even more if you have kids. Then there is the tip. Not to mention the drive to and from the restaurant.
- Food Preparation: Average time spent – 7 hours/week. Just on dinner. That is like working an extra day at your regular job! Don’t think it takes that long? Think about the prep work that goes on before your food ever touches an oven or saute pan. Cleaning, chopping, trimming meats. These things add up.
- Packaging Left-Overs: Average time spent – 30 minutes/week. Most people make more than they can eat at one sitting. You have to save it for later and this too takes time. Did you forget to label it? Good luck remembering what that unidentified piece of meat is in the back of the refrigerator!
- Clean Up: Average time spent – 3 hours/week. So now, after you’ve prepped, cooked, and eaten, you get to clean the pots and pans and stove. Does it ever end?
Other costs not included above are things like the gas it takes to drive to and from the stores and restaurants. The math above equals an average of 20 hours per week in time saved by hiring a Personal Chef! That is 20 hours per week you could be spending doing some thing you actually WANT to do! Your mileage may vary but even 10 hours per week would be a welcome relief to most of us.
So, now that you know everything that goes into the pricing of a Personal Chef service, the question really becomes: Can you afford not to have one?
Russo’s Cooking Personal Chef Service www.russoscooking.comPresidents note: If you are interested in finding out just how affordable a personal chef can be, please fill out this survey! You’d be surprised at where those hidden food dollars are being spent that can be saved by hiring a personal chef!
Local USPCA Chefs from West PA Chefs Volunteer for White House Project
Pittsburgh, PA: First Lady Michelle Obama recently commissioned an all volunteer project titled “Chefs Move To Schools” affording an opportunity for chefs around the country to adopt a local school to help solve the childhood obesity epidemic within a generation. “Chefs Move to Schools” will pair chefs with schools in their communities to bring fun to fruits and vegetables, and teach kids about food, nutrition and cooking in an engaging way.
Chef’s Carole, Catherine, JoAnn and Tim from West PA Chefs : The Western PA Chapter of the US Personal Chef Association, have joined the nationwide volunteer team spearheaded by Michelle Obama and hope to be working with local students soon, once they are paired with a school. By working with school food service employees, administrators and teachers, they will help deliver these messages from the cafeteria to the classroom. “We are going to need everyone’s time and talent to solve the childhood obesity epidemic and our Nation’s chefs have tremendous power as leaders on this issue because of their deep knowledge of food and nutrition and their standing in the community. I want to thank them for joining the Let’s Move! Campaign” stated Michelle Obama.
“The opportunity to share our knowledge about healthy food choices which directly benefits the children in our community is quite rewarding” stated Chef Tim, president of the chapter. “This nationwide campaign is well organized and focused, and the results should be outstanding. The messages we help deliver are actually quite simple and common sense, but our society has drifted away from core principals and opted for food alternatives which aren’t always the best or most healthy choices” he continued.
The chefs will be attending the “Chefs Move to Schools” Launch Event on the South Lawn of the White House on Friday, June 4 along with a number of USPCA chefs and chefs from all over the county.
The Western Pennsylvania Chapter of the United States Personal Chef Association is a group of Independently owned and operated Personal Chef Services providing Customized Meal Solutions to a variety of clients in Western PA and bordering counties in Eastern OH and the Northern Panhandle of WV. Each chef provides healthy, nutritious solutions to the “What’s For Dinner” question asked nightly by busy households. Customized quality meals created and made available for busy households provide an excellent platform to re-establish the family dinner hour which has disappeared from many homes due to hectic schedules. Families can now save time and money while enjoying healthy selections and putting solid nutrition back into their daily routine. They are all members of the United States Personal Chef Association (USPCA), which is one of several professional culinary organizations enlisted to aid in this national campaign. For further information about West PA Chefs, please visit http://www.westpachefs.com. For additional information about the “Chefs Move To Schools” campaign, please visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/05/13/chefs-move-schools.
West PA Chefs – Independently Owned and Operated Personal Chef Businesses in the Tri-State Region
If you are looking for a personal chef in the Western PA area, you’ve come to the right place! Our members offer a wide variety of services and are spread out over the region so there is sure to be a personal chef near you!
Comprised of several independently owned and operated Personal Chef Services, West PA Chefs has member chefs located throughout the Western PA Region, including portions of the Northern Panhandle of WV and bordering counties in Eastern OH.
Each chef offers a variety of Customized Meal Solutions including freshly prepared meals which are packaged and ready to heat and eat as well as offering chef services for small dinner parties, interactive cooking parties and demonstrations! Several member chefs also provide larger catering services, cooking instruction, meal pick up and preparation from commercial kitchen space.
Our members are also dedicated to providing services using as much locally grown products as are in season and available. With many local farms, farmer’s markets and CSA programs in the region, we look forward to cooking what’s currently in season in the area!
The direct tangible benefit to hiring your own chef will be the time saved in the actual meal preparation and the associated shopping while still enjoying palate specific meals at a surprisingly reasonable cost! Those who choose a chef to cook for a dinner party will no longer need to spend countless hours in the kitchen and will have more time to actually enjoy their party and the company of their guests!
The time and money saved as well as the health benefits of having preservative and additive free meals at your fingertips is incalculable!
If you are a member of any of the CSA programs in the Western PA area and are interested in having your CSA boxes turned into delicious meals, or to be taught what to do with all that great, locally grown produce, please click here to email us to be referred to the personal chef nearest you!
If you would like to find out more about membership in West PA Chefs, are interested in becoming a personal chef by utilizing a course through the Culinary Business Academy or would like information about finding a personal chef in your area, please click here to email us!
Happy Cooking!
West PA Chefs at Farm to Table Event
Chef’s Carole, Catherine and Tim will set up booth, pass out samples during the show and Friday Night Food Tasting and appear on the Demonstration Stage during the 2 day event, Friday and Saturday, March 26-27, 2010 at the DL Lawrence Convention Center in Downtown Pittsburgh.
The chef’s will represent their individual Personal Chef Services as well as West PA Chefs, which is the Western PA Chapter of the United States Personal Chef Association. The chapter is comprised of independently owned and operated Personal Chef Services and has member chefs located throughout the Western Pennsylvania Region. These chefs serve areas in Western PA as well as the bordering counties in Eastern Ohio and the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia.
Chef Carole from Organic Personal Chef Service, Chef Catherine from Catherine’s Personal Chef Service and Chef Tim from Dinner Magician Personal Chef Service have teamed up to share a larger booth space with another Western PA business, Soap Alchemy, which makes a variety of Natural, Hand Crafted Soap. Chef Tim is also the marketing director for Soap Alchemy. While Soap and Food generally do not mix, both the chefs and the soap manufacturer rely on using only the best food grade ingredients in their services and products and all are concerned with using the most sustainable and locally available products available for each of their businesses.
Chef Catherine and Chef Carole will both participate in the food tasting event to be held from 5 to 8 pm the first day of the event. Chef Carole and Chef Tim will both share the demonstration stage at 4 pm on Saturday, March 27 to talk about personal chefs and how people concerned with eating local and sustainable can utilize the services of a personal chef to help them achieve their goals. They will also prepare a recipe for those in attendance at the demonstration.
Conference Highlights:
- Farmers Market
- Cooking Demonstrations by Chefs and Dieticians
- Presentations by researchers and scientists about the benefits of eating local food
- Local Food Tasting on Friday night: Learn More
- Saturday morning networking breakfast for Exhibitors
The event will be held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Downtown Pittsburgh from 10 am to 5 pm each day with the food tasting to be held on Friday evening from 5 to 8 pm.
Chef’s JoAnn and Tim at Our Valley Cooks
West PA Chef’s Chapter Member Chef JoAnn Bohonik of My Secret Chef Personal Chef Service in West Middlesex, PA and Chapter President Chef Tim Hering from Dinner Magician Personal Chef Service in New Castle, PA recently set up a booth at the Our Valley Cooks Recipe Challenge and Food Expo to introduce their unique services to the residents of the Youngstown, OH region. The expo was held at Mr. Anthony’s in nearby Boardman, Ohio.
Chef JoAnn featured samples of her cheesecakes as well as a Vegetable Ragu which she served over pieces of Grilled Polenta. Expo Attendees were raving about Chef JoAnn’s food!
Chef Tim featured a variety of scones and also did a few demonstrations in the booth during the course of the 10 hour event. He featured a recipe for No Cook Tacos and also demo’d a recipe for Buffalo Style Ravioli. During the show, he also demo’d the Buffalo Style Ravioli on the Neighborhood Stage which was set up at one end of the large hall.
Chef’s JoAnn and Tim are looking forward to providing their services to the residents of the Youngstown region in the coming weeks and months!
For more pictures from the show, please visit the West PA Chefs Fan Page on Facebook!