We had high expectations for this event, every one of which was easily surpassed by Michelle.
The food was predictably fantastic and Michelle was not only a great chef, but she was personable, funny, and both interesting and interested. In a perfect world she would have sat at the table with us all evening because we she was the best part of a great time.
So the highlight of our Chef Experience was definitely Michelle herself... which is saying a lot because the food was great; she brought a little wrinkle to almost everything we were served which put it all over the top in terms of selection, presentation and taste...
It was most definitely a great night from start to finish..
The highlight of our Chef Experience was sharing our knowledge of wine cheese and balsamic vinegars with chef. 10/10
Hi Laura,
Thanks so much for a fantastic and delicious day on Saturday!! :-)
Some feedback provided below, feel free to use any/ all for your site:
Excellent excellent excellent!! From start to finish, the private lesson had me excited to prepare delicious and healthy meals. Coming into the class, I knew my way around the kitchen alright and could get through most recipes but this class was invaluable for learning the "How" and "Why" to make a meal really shine.
Shopping together was fantastic and provided a great opportunity for me to ask questions about gluten-free products, differences between brands, and what can be substituted. Navigating around the fruits and vegetables with a food expert is an awesome experience for learning little tricks to make the most of the food you purchase. I thought I knew how to pick a perfectly ripe lime - not so!
One of the things I liked most about this lesson was a kind of Food Whisperer approach to cooking - close your eyes and let the food talk to you! Squeeze a pepper to feel it's weight and ripeness; feel the subtle bend of noodles while they're cooking and listen to how hard the water is boiling.
Cooking gluten-free can seem incredibly intimidating but this lesson proved to me that with a little know-how, I won't even miss the wheat. I also appreciated learning about ways to make the most of my time in the kitchen - cook once, eat twice or more. Wash my veggies once home from the store to minimize prep time. Sharpening knives, the physics of pastry, how to cleanly chop an avacado - the pearls of wisdom go on and on.
Thanks so much for sharing your expertise with us and providing such a fun afternoon!
Anna
- Traditional Personal Chef Services
- Private Chef Service
- Dinner Parties
- Weddings
- Conferences & Banquets
- Barbeques & Outdoor Events
- Cooking Classes-recreational
- Cooking Classes- educational
- Tradeshow Demonstrations
- Consulting
- Menu Planning
- Recipe Development
- Product Demonstrations
- Private Chef Exchange
Our comprehensive checklist will answer all the questions you have, and those that hadn't even occured to you!
MAKE LIFE EASIER - AND MORE DELICIOUS
Printed in The Paris Star
November 29th 2006
Have you ever wished you could simply go home after work and find a delicious home cooked meal ready to be served at the table?
Or perhaps you are a retired person who is looking for ways to make it easier for you to live independently. You want tasty and nutritious food, but you find it harder to shop and prepare meals.
You might be planning a dinner party for friends, and don't particularly relish spending most of the evening in the kitchen.
Or maybe you just love to eat and hate to cook.
You are the person that is fuelling the astronomical growth in the home and personal chef industry.
Nancy Rowley-Panasiuk introduced herself to the town of Paris as a personal chef two-and-a-half years ago. She finds herself meeting an ever-increasing need for home chef services. Busy families, seniors, people recovering from operations and new mothers have all availed themselves of Forks of the Grand services and the results have been delicious.
"I love to cook and I love being my own boss," says Nancy, who has a number of cooking and cheffing diplomas and certificates. In fact, Nancy got her start cooking at the Trading Post Restaurant on Dundas Street when she was 15 years old.
She might have started frying potatoes and flipping eggs, but her repertoire has definitely expanded over the years. The Forks of the Grand menu includes entrees like filet mignon with Béarnaise sauce, beef pot roast, lasagna, lemon rosemary chicken, coq au vin, Cajun catfish, east coast lobster in lobster sauce, grilled pork loin, fettuccine alfredo, vegetable and tofu stir-fry and vegetarian stuffed peppers. Nancy also makes homemade soups - butternut squash and sour cream, roasted plum tomato and wild rice and chicken to name a few.
Hungry yet?
Clients choose from entrees from Nancy's extensive menu for one to two weeks. For example a family of four receives 20 entrees for one week, and the cost is $200 plus the cost of groceries and freezer containers. "It works out to as little as $10 a day per person," says Nancy. "I try to keep the cost as reasonable as possible. Nancy has prices for six-person families, as well as couples and retirees. She has a wide vegetarian selection, and can cook for people following low-sodium, low-cholesterol or diabetic diets.
There are many prongs to Forks of the Grand. Nancy does in-home catering for dinner parties, providing cooking, set-up, serving and cleanup. Her Christmas catering menu is mouthwatering, with a choice of five entrees including tender roast beef aus jus and salso veracruz salmon.
Nancy will cater just about any occasion where people want to eat. She has cooked for numerous retirement parties at local halls and prepared trays and served at bridal and baby showers. She even makes picnic baskets to order. She is also happy to provide pick-up service for someone who wants a casserole or lasagna prepared for a potluck or busy night.
Nancy also offers cooking classes for groups or individuals.
Nancy is a seasoned Personal Chef, and has been a member of The Chef Alliance for many years.
Update: 2009 - Chef Panasiuk is no longer a member of The Chef Alliance
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