As a personal chef and someone who loves food I enjoy sharing what I have learned with my clients.  It is one of my passions to share what I know, and one way of doing this for me is by passing along tips and suggestions that people can use in their own kitchens and in their lives.  If your business does not include cooking classes you are still making an impact in the lives of everyone you cook for.  When people come looking to you for personal chef services they are attracted to what you offer.  If one of your intentions is to make a difference, you will do that, by just being you and staying true to your unique style of cooking.

Recently I had a couple from Arizona who came to Maui for vacation.  They had been on a very strict diet for 30-days and had just lost a lot of weight.  They wanted some tips that they could use to create healthy and delicious meals at home.  At their request we created a meal together that used no butter, white sugar, flour or dairy: Ginger Teriyaki Prawns; Carrot Ginger Coconut Soup; Roasted Tomato, Onion, Zucchini, Herb and Red Wine Ragout with Fresh Fish (opah); Cilantro Lime Mahi Mahi Tacos with Fresh Fruit Salsa; and Berry Crisp with Frozen Mango Coconut Cream.

I think they were surprised at how flavorful and satisfying real food that was low in carbs could be when you combine a variety of fresh herbs and flavorful ingredients.  What I love most about this story is that they emailed me when they returned to their home after trying the recipes that I shared with them.  At my suggestion they also discovered their own local farmer’s market to source some fresh ingredients to use in their kitchen.  This is the email they sent to me after trying the recipes at home, “All I can say is WOW and THANK YOU!”  Remember, you do make a difference in the lives of the people you touch through your food.

It doesn’t matter if you have had your own business one month or ten years.  Your clients want you to bring your wisdom and knowledge into their lives in some way. If you have a passion for food then you have something unique to share.  Even if you are cooking for someone for only one meal you are creating a memorable experience that may last a lifetime.  People celebrate many occasions through food and for most people food plays a very important part of each day and as a personal chef you directly impact people through the food you make.

This week I went to a client’s home to empower her to cook healthy meals.  She has been my weekly client for a number of months and she now wants to be able to cook healthy dishes for herself and her husband. I helped her think outside the box and encouraged her to not be afraid to experiment in the kitchen.  We made five versatile sauces that could be interchanged with a variety of her favorite vegetables, different types of pasta and a selection of fish, chicken and even beef.  The sauces were: Orange-Ginger Teriyaki Sauce; Cilantro-Basil Onion Citrus Sauce; Basil Pesto with Macadamia Nuts; Sesame Dressing; and Red Wine Mixed-Herb Sauce with Mushrooms.  I gave her the recipes and information that she can now use in her everyday life.  When you help people do something in a new way you are giving them a gift for a lifetime.  I think of it as unleashing people’s creativity and providing them a starting point where they can then continue to invent and create dishes that work for their lifestyle and individual tastes.

Being a personal chef YOUR way is the only way.  Remember, when someone chooses you for your services there is something about you that attracted them to your style of cooking.  It is very important to stay true to your culinary point of view because what you do is unique to you and you alone.  If you are being excellent in what YOU do then you are doing all that you can do.

Ann-Marie Burtell is Culinary Artist/Owner of Maui Fresh Chef www.MauiFreshChef.com. Offering: Personal chef services which include private dinners and events; daily and weekly meal services; shopping and preparation; personalized classes with farmer’s market tours in Hawaii.

See Ann-Marie Burtell's Chef profile on Sneak Peek Eats.