Recently, a friend suggested that I talk about my reasons for choosing the name of my business and some of the meaning behind it. I figured this would be a good topic for the first blog post on my site; actually, my first blog post ever; so here goes...
My first intention was to convey a sense of how I cook and what I can provide for my clients. Don't get me wrong, I'm a classically trained chef and I love butter and anything made with pork belly. I can and will make you whatever you want to eat (I have one family that regularly orders fried okra and/or pickles); but if you want some healthier options, if you're on a specific diet and don't have the time or desire to do the measuring and cooking and portioning yourself, if you're working with someone who has outlined a plan for you and you just need some help with it I'm here. You can even give me specific recipes if you want. I have a solid understanding of pretty much every popular dietary trend out there right now: paleo, keto, low carb, whole 30, vegetarian, vegan... If you take a quick look at the offerings on the site you'll see that the bulk of the vegetables are roasted. I use just enough oil to keep things from sticking and help with even coloring and add some basic seasonings. Proteins are grilled over hardwood lump charcoal or roasted. You can either build your own meals on the site or we can talk and personalize your meals to suit your needs. I had a client who was doing a high protein/low carb program and had to make some adjustments a while in and add in more carbs so we worked out a new setup and made all of the adjustments he needed. To be clear, I'm not a nutritionist or dietician. I can't and won't tell what diet you need to be on, but when someone has told you I can help you with the execution.
Second, I wanted to convey the fact that I don't just prepare healthy food, I practice a healthy lifestyle too. Most of the stuff you see on the site is the same food I prepare for myself and my family, and I run and strength train regularly. I decided many years ago that I didn't want to be the (then) stereotypical older chef that was overweight and out of shape so I tried to adopt healthier habits. That has evolved over time to where I am now, and even though I thought I was in pretty good shape I still managed to lose almost 20 pounds in last year and a half through an improved diet and stricter exercise regimen. I mean, it's hard to be an out of shape chef and try to sell people on a healthy diet, right? Along the same lines as the previous paragraph, I'm not a certified trainer and am in no way qualified to recommend a training regimen, but I am 56 years old and run ultramarathons. If you want to talk fitness goals and pitfalls, especially if you're older like me, I'm always happy to share.
If you've made it this far thanks for reading. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions and comments are always appreciated as this is all somewhat new to me.