Frequently Asked Questions

Many people confuse the term “Private Chef” — which is a live-in, 24-hour service —with “Personal Chef”.  Most private chefs are employed full-time by one household, and prepare up to three meals a day.  A personal chef has several clients who regularly schedule services on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis.  With Eat Your Heart Out Edibles, I give you a customized selection of freshly prepared meals, packaged and stored for you to enjoy according to your schedule and lifestyle.

Yes, I prepare your meals in your kitchen.  On the agreed-upon date, I bring the fresh ingredients for your meals — along with my own pots, pans and utensils — to prepare your entrees on site.  At the end of the day, I leave your kitchen clean and full of the savory aroma of great home cooking.

I also offer a meal delivery option, where I prepare and package the meals in my kitchen, and deliver them to your home.  Same chef-prepared quality meals, just different cooking location.

Definitely!  I can prepare the meals you’ve selected in my commercial kitchen, to be packaged and delivered to your home (or chosen location). Same quality meals, just different cooking site.  It’s all about choice, and what works for your situation.

It depends on the number of meals you have requested and the sizes of the containers, but it does generally require a large amount of freezer space.  I’ll consider your freezer size during your personal consultation, and suggest easy ways to organize the items you’ll be keeping in your freezer along with your freshly prepared personal chef meals.  Efficient storage is one of the reasons I select the appropriate-sized containers for uniform and maximum storage.

When we have our assessment meeting, I will review the containers you already have on hand.  Based on the size of the servings and your preferred method of storing/heating your meals, we can determine if additional/different containers will be needed.  If so, I can purchase them for you and simply add the cost to your grocery bill for that cook date.  Note that uniformly sized containers take less storage space in your freezer.

I prepare side dishes that complement the entrée you’ve selected.  For instance, if you ordered a savory stew, I would prepare a rice or polenta side dish to be enjoyed with the stew.  Other selections are determined by your specific likes and dislikes.  Click here to see a sampling of available side dishes.

I am happy to provide extra side dishes for you; however, it will entail an additional fee.

Please remember, I am here to serve you and make life easier and tastier!  If you want Chili until you have had your fill, or if there are meals that are not on my menus, don’t hesitate to speak up!  I have thousands of recipes available, and I am happy to make you meatloaf and mashed potatoes (or some other favorite comfort food) if that’s what you please…I want you to be able to eat your heart out!

Check out our Comfort Foods Menu!

Think of it this way: For a restaurant meal, you must travel to get there and possibly wait for a table (or have made a reservation).  If you have allergies or special requests, you don’t always have the guarantee they’ll be honored, since most entrees are “assembly line” ready in the kitchen.  After eating your meal, you must pay for it, tip the server, and travel back home.

When you use the Eat Your Heart Out Edibles personal chef service, you can heat a beautiful entrée that has been prepared specifically for your palate following your dietary requirements, and eat it in the comfort of your own home.  You could even enjoy it curled up on the couch in your jammies if you want.

Your total cost is comprised of a Service Fee and the actual cost of the groceries.  The Service Fee includes the assessment process I complete to determine how and what you like to eat, as well as identifying any allergies, sensitivities or medically specific requirements, for consideration when preparing my entrees.  It also includes the time spent researching and customizing recipes to reflect your wants and requests, submitting meal selections for your approval, grocery shopping, coming to your home to prepare your entrees in your own kitchen, plus the packaging, labeling and storing of your meals and specific reheating instructions.  And, of course, the cost of food fluctuates.  You pay the actual cost of the groceries – receipts available upon request.

I offer two options for menu section – “Chef’s Choice” and “Client Choice”.  With Chef’s Choice, I surprise you by designing your menu every week, based on our assessment and what is in season.  Two days prior to cook-date, you will receive an e-mail with my menu selections for the up coming week.  You can choose to give me the “go ahead” – or not, to keep it easy and a total surprise!

With Client’s Choice, you make your own weekly menu selections from my menu.  Two days prior to cook-date, you send me an e-mail with your menu selections for the upcoming week.  Please note, there is always a possibility that a selected combination of dishes may be not be possible due to amount of time available in one cook-date.  For example, if the majority of the meals selected are baked/cooked in the oven at various times and temperatures, due to time constraints, some meal combinations may not work for that week.  Of course, I would discuss that with you to come up with the best selections.

Because we have to test, adjust, and formalize all outside recipes to conform with our preparation and storage requirements, recipes provided by the client may not be acceptable, or the Chef will not be held responsible for the overall result of the dish, i.e., lack of flavor, etc.

I do it all – wash the dishes, clean the countertops, sweep the floors, all the things you’d do after preparing a meal.  I even wear protective slippers so as not to mark up floors with heel marks, etc.  The only trace of my presence will be the delicious aromas and the stocked freezer/refrigerator!

I love animals and I understand they are a part of your family. However, for their safety and for mine, I request they be kept away and out of the kitchen.  A dog’s very sensitive nose is immediately attracted to any food aroma that my equipment cases might retain. This is a sanitation issue that affects all of my clients.

What kind would you like?  LOL  We offer a wide variety of personal and corporate catering services, from intimate dinner parties to corporate luncheons, theme parties, weddings, and more.  Check out our catering pages for more information.

I enjoy spending time and chatting with my clients, but I try to limit it to the beginning and end of my cook dates.  This helps to ensure the excellent quality of your meals.

Because I will be cooking several different entrees and side dishes from scratch, it can take between 4 to 8 hours.  Some dishes take more time than others to prepare, so I’ll give you an estimate rather than an exact time.

Yes.  Any entrees that have been stored for you in your freezer should be defrosted overnight in your refrigerator and heated, to be enjoyed at the peak of their flavor.  You’ll receive a detailed inventory of what has been stored with easy-to-follow heating instructions.

Gift Certificates are available for a variety of Eat Your Heart Out Edibles’ services, and can be customized as you wish.  For Chef Services, you can decide on the type of service you wish to give – a single meal, a quantity of meals (e.g., a week’s worth) or even a dinner party – Chef Angela will work with you to develop a budget, including estimated grocery amounts.  Once you agree on the service level, you will be invoiced for that amount, and then upon receipt of payment, a Gift Certificate will be emailed to you (or to the recipient, if you so choose).  For Custom Bakery items, simply “name your price” (minimum $50) for the invoice.