What is a Personal Chef?

A Private Chef does the Following:

• Meal Planning

  One of the most satisfying aspects of hiring a private. chef is that it’s exactly what it is, private and personal. Whatever you or your family’s needs are, you have the ability to discuss with the chef and plan your menus. Whether you have dietary restrictions, allergies, diabetes or just specific requests, the meal plan is yours.

• Food Shopping

  As a private chef, I know ingredients. Whether its produce, protein, dairy or grains there is no stress on you to buy the right thing and use it in the allotted time. As a personal chef I take that stress away from you so you get your hours back during your day.

• Food Preparation

  A private chef prepares your meals in your kitchen. The chef arrives with all ingredients (you don’t provide oil, salt, pepper or butter). The chef will have their own knives and tasting spoons, so what you will provide is your kitchen space and some of your equipment e.g. baking sheets, sauce pans, fry fans etc. The process of cooking your meals will take between 3-6 hours. This allows time for cooking, cleaning and storing.

• Food Storage

  When the meals are complete, the chef will store everything in plastic or glass containers. Each container will be labeled, dated and will have re-heating instructions.

• Cleaning

  A very important advantage in hiring a private chef is the cleanup. Once the meals are prepared, stored and labeled, the chef goes to work on cleaning equipment, floors, counters and all trash will be removed (the chef will bring their own garbage bags). The key to success is wonderful food, and a kitchen that looks like no one was in your home.

Who am I?

My name is Missy Druley, and my culinary journey began as a young adult. While at the University of Kansas I spent a ‘study abroad program' in Florence, Italy. My studies focused on learning the language and the local cuisine, specializing in homemade pastas and sauces. After graduation I entered the corporate world, but the lure of the kitchen, cooking and recipe testing stayed with me. After many years in the corporate world, I changed course and made the decision to pursue my culinary dream; I joined the culinary program, created by Julia Child and Jacques Pepin, at Boston University. I was trained and worked side by side with local and traveling chefs, including Jacques Pepin, all with a wide variety of experiences and backgrounds. While in culinary training I became certified in the Boston University's cheese course and the in-depth wine program, covering four levels of instruction, pairing wine with food from around the globe. I also earned my Master of Liberal Arts in Gastronomy, at Boston University.