Lately, I've been binge-watching TikTok videos to learn how people make videos and also for me to enjoy cute and funny videos while winding myself down after a long day. (In case you wonder, we did debut in TikTok now. Please follow us @unipersonalchef on TikTok!)
One of my favorite ones is about a guy who goes to a chef's house and asks them to cook something to eat for $10.00. (In case you didn't know, we did something similar video on Instagram last year, so check it out!)
Sometimes the video reminds me of how we operate our Personal Chef Business, too. We have
the base/set prices for everything, but sometimes we get requests like "Can you make appetizers for XX people with XYZ budget?" Especially when the holiday season gets closer, and some of them use the season for their fundraising events and corporate parties. But sometimes we have to decline these requests since we're not a fully equipped catering company, although we would love to accommodate all inquiries we get.
Later in July this year, we had a request with a budget that took a lot of work for us to provide our service. But we couldn't turn this party down when we learned that this event was for a celebration of a loved one's life during our complimentary initial consultation. They wanted to have the party at the brewery where the person who passed away favored hanging out. Chef Aric offered them that we could make either burger sliders & hot dogs bar, sandwiches bar, or taco bar. They were still skeptical about our services and prices, so we were honest and explained what they would get from us. We would serve more quantities than fast food catering, and they would get better quality meals than those from fast food restaurants because we would make most of them from scratch with fresh ingredients. We asked them to consider everything we discussed and to let us know what decision they'd make in a few days.
We received an email with the approval of the estimate, and they decided to go with Taco bar. Chef Aric and I went grocery shopping, hand-picked all the necessary ingredients, and ensured that we would have enough food for roughly 60-70 guests since an unknown number of people would attend the party. As we promised them, Chef Aric and I took a few days to prepare the food and made it from scratch as much as we could.
On the event day, we set up the taco bar station with a steam table to keep meats warm. Chef Aric cooked carnitas, chicken, beef, and mushrooms for tacos as needed in the kitchen and made sure everything was fresh and hot. I kept the serving table nice and neat and filled up all the fresh-cut onion, cilantro, tomatoes, lettuce, limes, jalapeño, cheese, and sour cream at the taco station.
While waiting for people to order tacos at the station, I observed the atmosphere. People were hugging, talking, laughing…and shedding tears…My heart sank, and I had to hide the tears at one point during the party. Not too long ago, we did our emotional second annual fundraising event for our dearest brother, Phil, and Momma Bianchi. This party reminded me of how we gathered when we lost our loved ones and how important it is to have a community to support each other when tragedy strikes us.
The party was slowly winding down, and I started to take down the taco station while Chef Aric was putting things away. The widow and her brother-in-law stopped us and thanked us for the food we had made. They sincerely thanked us and said how delicious the tacos were. Then they said, "This was the perfect party for him. You guys did a great job for him. He'd love having this taco party". The widow and the brother-in-law both shed tears, shook Chef Aric's hand, and hugged him before they left the party.
Food. It brings memories back even the person is no longer with us. Food touches our emotions and feelings and makes us grateful for what we have. Food connects people we didn't even know each other. Food brings people together again and again. Food travels time like a time machine with the aroma, taste, and memories that go with it. Even if it's the saddest moment of our lives, food comforts all of us and our hearts.
I'd bet they were feeling the loved one's smile and presence during the party, and I hope this party and the taco bar we provided will bring new memories and make them smile when they eat tacos.
Personal Chef Services are not just for a fun time. But we learned that at least we can lift broken-hearted spirits a little bit as long as we put our best effort and thoughts into our service.
Are you planning to hire a personal chef but don't know where to start? Look no further. We are offering Prix Fixe 5-Course Dinner Special during the holiday season! This holiday dinner trial will be perfect for finding out what we do in the comfort of your home! BOOK US NOW, and let's have a Complimentary Initial Consultation with us!
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