Chris Russell / Dispatch photos Personal chef Anne Hayward of Premier Concierge of Columbus prepares asparagus for quiche and soup. She also made the potato salad, stuffed potato and pork barbecue on the counter for her client.

A menu list and the all-natural pasta Hayward likes to use

Fruit salad prepared and packaged by Hayward

Wednesday, May 9, 2001

Suzanne Loudermilk
Dispatch Food Editor

It's 6 p.m. Do you know where your dinner is?

Carol and Steve Engler of Worthington do.

Several nourishing meals are neatly stacked and labeled in their freezer and refrigerator. And the busy professional couple -- he's an educator; she's an adjunct professor and consultant -- didn't have to go to a grocery store, stop by a restaurant or call for pizza.

They have a personal chef.

Every other week, Anne Hayward of Premier Concierge of Columbus visits the Englers' home and gets busy in their kitchen while they are at work. On a recent day, Hayward was making barbecue pork, tarragon chicken salad, asparagus quiche, Swiss steak and salad, among other dishes.

She has been cooking for the Englers for about a year.

"We have been so pleased with Anne's flexibility and willingness (to deal) with my food allergy," said Carol Engler, 53, who is allergic to wheat products. "We have hectic schedules, my husband and I. It's comforting to reach inside the refrigerator and have a good meal."

Hayward -- one of several Columbus-area personal chefs -- joins a growing number of personal chefs around the country, who are preparing meals for time-strapped couples, families and singles in their homes. In addition to regular service, most chefs also offer gift certificates for such occasions as Mother's Day, which is coming up Sunday, and birthdays.

"It's also perfect for new moms," said personal chef Amy Shook, 27, of Hilliard, who works with her mother, Linda Mensing of Dublin, in their business Matter of Taste Personal Chef Service.

"We have a lot of stay-at-home moms, who are really involved with their children. They don't have time to spend in the kitchen. They want to spend quality time with their kids."

Personal-chef prices vary from about $10 to $18 a serving. For example, Shook charges $285 for 10 meals for two people. Anne Hayward's cost is $250 to $300 for five meals for four people.

"You are paying to have me plan, grocery shop and have your meals prepared exactly as you like with the freshest ingredients," Hayward explains to customers.

Engler says the fee is money well-spent.

"I think it's very cost-effective," she said. "It saves time. Time is money to me."

"Most of the clients aren't rich and famous," said Vicki Lamer, 48, of Dinner Solutions in Columbus. "The majority are just busy professionals."

Lamer said the personal-chef business has really taken off in central Ohio in the past year:

"People are realizing fast food is not the way to go, standing in the grocery store at 5 p.m. is not the way to go, and they're tired of eating out."

Tom Francy, 47, of J&J's Personal Chef Service in Westerville finds clients range from "people who don't like to cook or are too busy to cook."

The former geologist who trained at the Refectory restaurant in Northwest Columbus turned to the personal-chef business two years ago to spend more time with his wife, Donna, and twin 12-year-old daughters.

"It got crazy," Francy said of the restaurant work and hours. "I decided to see what else I could do."

Candy Wallace, executive director of the San Diego, Calif.-based American Personal Chef Association, one of two national groups representing personal chefs, predicts that by 2005 there will be 25,000 personal chefs in the United States. Now, there are about 5,000.

In 1992, there were only 15 personal chefs in the country, according to the United States Personal Chef Association.

"This has become quite an option for second careers," Wallace said. "We have culinary school grads and self-taught, passionate home cooks."

Anne Hayward has been interested in food since childhood. She still has her first cookbook and a recipe for a pear dessert, which is carefully printed in her first-grade hand.

"I love to cook," said Hayward, who is working on a degree in nutrition. "That's how I got into this. I didn't have people to eat it all."

Because her two adult children are on their own, Hayward had only her husband, Don, an auto-racing consultant, to feed. After moving to Worthington from Michigan a year ago, she met Carol Engler, who was looking for a personal chef.

"I call cooking a culinary challenge. I'm culinary challenged," Engler said with a laugh. "So this is a godsend."

Beth Jensen of Dublin recently became a client of Hayward's. The mother of four found out two months ago that she has breast cancer and was worried about how she would feed her family, including her husband, Gary.

"It takes a real load off my mind," said Jensen, 47, who is going through chemotherapy and faces surgery. "There will be food I can eat and food the kids will eat. It's healthier food and a wonderful variety."

Hayward's goal is to help her customers eat better, she said.

"When I see the junk people are eating, I feel like I'm doing some good," she said. "I feel in my own little way I'm teaching people better eating habits."

MUSHROOM QUICHE

From Anne Hayward, Premier Concierge of Columbus.

Yield: 8 servings

1 small can mushrooms, drained

1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

11/2 cup Swiss cheese

3 eggs

1 cup milk

Salt to taste

9-inch unbaked pie shell

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine mushrooms, cheeses, eggs, milk and salt.

Place mixture in pie shell. Bake for 45 minutes.

BRANDIED PEACH CHICKEN

From the American Personal Chef Association.

Yield: 4 servings

1/2 cup peach nectar

1/2 cup brandy

1/4 cup olive oil

2 medium shallots, peeled and minced

2 tablespoons light brown sugar, firmly packed

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 (4-pound) chicken, cut into quarters (see note)

1/2 cup peach preserves

2 plums, pitted and sliced

1 cup seedless green grapes, halved

In a shallow baking dish or in a large resealable plastic bag, combine peach nectar, brandy, olive oil, shallots, brown sugar, salt and pepper. With fork or wire whisk, stir until ingredients are thoroughly combined.

Place chicken quarters in peach-nectar mixture, turning several times to coat thoroughly. Cover dish with plastic wrap or seal the plastic bag, squeezing to remove all air. Refrigerate several hours or overnight, turning chicken occasionally (no need to turn chicken in plastic bag).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain chicken pieces, reserving marinade; place chicken skin side down in the baking dish. Bake 15 minutes, basting occasionally with some of the reserved marinade.

Turn chicken pieces over and baste again with some of the reserved marinade. Bake 15 minutes longer or until chicken is browned and juices run clear when the thickest part of the leg is pierced with a fork.

If desired, transfer chicken pieces to the rack of a broiling pan; broil chicken skin side up, 4 to 6 inches from heat source until the skin is crisp and browned. Watch carefully -- the sweet marinade will cause the chicken to brown quickly.

In a medium saucepan, place remaining marinade, peach preserves, plums and grapes. Over moderately high heat, bring to boil. Transfer chicken to a serving plater; spoon sauce over chicken.

Note: If you are watching dietary fat and cholesterol, you can substitute halved chicken breasts for the whole chicken, being sure to remove and discard the skin and excess fat.

VEGETARIAN BUNDLES

From the American Personal Chef Association.

2 red bell peppers, split open and seeded

1 cup small broccoli florets

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/4 cup onion, finely chopped

1 (10-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and quartered (see note)

4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1 cup fresh cilantro, minced

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

12 (7-inch square) eggroll wrappers

Muffin tins

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roast peppers in oven until slightly charred and softened. Let cool slightly. Cut into thin slivers. Lightly steam broccoli florets.

Press excess moisture out of spinach. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat until hot. Cook and stir onions for 3 minutes. Add spinach; cook 5 minutes or until spinach is dry.

Add artichoke hearts, broccoli and peppers to skillet; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through. Remove from heat; stir in cheeses, cilantro and nutmeg.

Spray muffin tins with cooking spray and place eggroll wrapper on top pf muffin area and fill with the vegetable filling. After filling, spray again with cooking spray and bake in oven for 15-20 minutes or until the tops of the wrappers are brown. Wrap individual bundles in aluminum foil. Store in a large resealable freezer bag.

Reheat in stove (for crispier bundles) or microwave until hot.

Note: If unable to find frozen artichoke hearts, substitute water-packed canned artichoke hearts. Do not use marinated artichoke hearts.