Personal Chef Magazine - Spring 2016

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE: From the President........................................................3 Member Milestones ......................................................4 Welcome Back to 1991 .................................................6 25 Free Low Cost Advertising Tips ............................... 7 25 Years of USPCA Recipes ........................................ 8 From the Air Force to Personal Cheffing ...................... 13 Liability Insurance Frequently Asked Questions ........... 14 Personal Chefs Head to Providence, RI ....................... 16 An Interview with Mark Hudgins.................................... 19 N.E. Chefs Attend International Food Tasting Event .... 21 Create the Perfect Offer ...............................................22 Exercise Your Writing Muscles ..................................... 23 Does Social Media Activity Impact SEO ....................... 24 Know Your Costs ..........................................................26 The Risks of Home Delivery ......................................... 28 Fun with the Philly Chapter ..........................................30

PERSONAL CHEF

Volume 22, Number 2 Spring 2016

Personal Chef is the official publication of the Personal Chef Industry. This publication is made possible by the United States Personal Chef Association.

The purpose of this publication is to bring Personal Chefs the most useful and timely information and ideas from experts, working professionals, and industry leaders.

Personal Chef welcomes any articles, manuscripts, tips, hints, photographs, recipes and ideas from our readers. We appreciate all submissions. Please include name, address and phone number. Send your contributions to: United States Personal Chef Association PC Editor 7680 Universal Blvd, Ste 550 Orlando, FL 32819

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Production Director:

Larry Lynch

Editor: USPCA Magazine Department Layout & Design: CJ Tucker

Advertising: USPCA Magazine Department

Personal Chef is published by: United States Personal Chef Association 7680 Universal Blvd, Ste 550 Orlando, FL 32819 Copyright Š 2016 United States Personal Chef Association. Reproduction prohibited without permission. All rights reserved.

From the President’s Desk I recently finished reading a new book from Steve Case (the founder of AOL) on his version of the Third Wave.

Interestingly, the commercial version of America Online for MS-DOS was launched in 1991, the same year that Dave McKay and his wife started the United States Personal Chef Association.

In Case’s book he talks about where technology was in the “early days” with the internet shifting from a military/education project led by the Palo Alto Research Center to the commercial use as we know it today.

AOL bringing that science in a simple way to the masses was Phase 1. Phase 2 is the socialization of the internet with the launch of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Phase 3 becomes the internet of everything – controlling your car, home, education, pretty much everything we touch.

I never had the opportunity to meet either Dave or Steve but appreciate the vision they brought to two very different businesses. And I suspect that the Personal Chef field is also headed for a new wave. Perhaps not a third wave but clearly different than it was in 1991.

The story of technology morphs every day where new businesses go from recognition as a business brand to an everyday verb (think Uber).

Food, thankfully, stays relatively stable. But what is changing fast is what people know about food, nutrition, and dining and how so much is changing as consumer demands change.

When I came on board in 2010, the world of a Personal Chef (at least as shared with me by some of our members) was pretty stable. In a relatively short period of time, we started seeing changes with the introduction of a series of websites dedicated to bringing Personal Chefs to people’s homes. In this case we often saw solutions in search of a problem led by creative and bright tech experts who didn’t understand the world of the Personal Chef. Next came the meal and grocery delivery services. Again, technology looking for a problem.

Ten years before the founding of the association and the world as we see it today, futurist John Naisbitt understood the importance of balancing high tech and high touch. In his famous book “Megatrends,” he points out: “Whenever a new technology is introduced into society, there must be a counterbalancing human response - that is, high touch - or the technology is rejected... We must learn to balance the material wonders of technology with the spiritual demands of our human nature.”

That concept is as true today as it was nearly 35 years ago when Naisbitt wrote about it.

This is why I have such high hope for the Personal Chef profession as we move into our own Second Wave.

What will be important to succeed will be to understand and answer the needs of busy families and individuals who don’t want to shop, don’t want to prep, don’t want to cook, don’t want to serve, and don’t want to clean up.

Helping that is the growth in disposable income, which gives many people the buying power they need to make new purchases. In fact disposable income is estimated to have a compounded growth through 2020 of nearly 4%.

That means chefs should find every way they can to embrace technology to help them do their jobs better. Then everyone needs to take a step back and determine how to keep the high touch in a world that many people think they can disrupt through technology alone. Less personal time, more knowledge of nutrition and foods, fascination with all things cooking (just look at TV) are all signs that you’re in the right place at the right time.

You know how to cook, you know how to engage, you know how to run a business…you know people.

In the next 25, years we may even shift from Second Wave to Third Wave. Who knows. But here is what seems the most obvious: Personal Chefs provide a service that transcends all of these other changes in the world. Leverage that and you’ll have a fun career that lasts a lifetime.

Disposable income is estimated to have a compounded growth through 2020 of nearly 4%.

Source: Trading Economics.

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Membership Milestones 20 Years

Vickie Kirlick, CPC, River Vale, NJ

15 Years

Roberta Ashton, Saint Augustine, FL Barbara Bolvin, Olney, MD Caroline McAllister, Frederick, MD Dean Mitchell, CPC, Calgary, AB Michelle Nelson, Saint Joseph, MO Wendy Shank, Washington, DC Jennifer Sternfeld, CPC, Schenectady, NY Chris Welsh, Wayne, PA

10 Years

Viviane Arlotto, Los Angeles, CA Carol Burns, Little River, SC Debbie Cikalo, Farmington Hills, MI Sarah Copeland, Bloomfield, NJ Rosalind Cottingham, San Diego, CA Jill Evans, Parrish, FL Cathy Ferrara, Brighton, MI Adela Flynn, East Norriton, PA Tina Malonis, New York, NY Jaylyn Marvin, Pahoa, HI Susie Morris, Hampton, VA Mei Parker, Fayetteville, NC Allison Prudente, Glen Cove, NY Beth Ruble, Brownsburg, IN Mac Sherrill, Bethania, NC Ellna Silver, Myrtle Beach, SC Kimberly Styles, Powder Springs, GA Elizabeth Willard, Miami, FL Neil Fletcher Wilson, CPC, Hyattsville, MD

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5 Years

Keri Aschenbrenner, Cincinnati, OH Steven Crowe, York, PA Daphne Doyne, Oklahoma City, OK Diane Elmore, Hamilton, NJ Troy Fischer, Queens, NY Kirsten Johnson, Royal Oak, MI Lisa Lowe, Lilburn, GA Erika McCallin, Denver, CO Barbara Moul, CPC, Baldwinsville, NY Anna Muggiati, San Jose, CA Amer Nesheiwat, Olney, MD Melissa Peirce, Crofton, MD Patricia Prudente, Hyplouxo, FL Jose Sepulveda, Middletown, NY Elizabeth Weaver, Marietta, GA Carolyn Wold, Vacaville, CA April Woodward, Reno, NV

3 Years

Fio Antognini, Saint George, UT Richard Boufford, Newport Beach, CA Rebekah Brown, Dallas, TX Jennifer Brown, Baton Rogue, LA Brian Fastabend, Fort Collins, CO Rebecca Hemmerling, Charleston, SC Cindy Hilliard, Mill Creek, WA Rachel Johnson, Holland, MI Amy Power, South Lake Tahoe, CA Christopher Strachan, Lantana, FL Stacey Taylor, Raleigh, NC Laura Taylor, Seattle, WA Candace Thornley, Kent, WA Cecilia Vanderlinde, Cumming, GA Anne Volk, Boulder, CO Angela Whitford-Downing, Norwood, MA

New Certified Personal Chefs Deborah Fernandez, Providence, RI Norbert Klotz, Providence, RI VahĂŠ Mekhitarian, Wilmette, IL Lara Moritz, Providence, RI Beverly Pruden, Tucson, AZ Paola Santagati, Windermere, FL

New USPCA Members Since November 2015 Margie Adams, Winter Haven, FL Nadia Ahmed, Houston, TX Angelina Aldrich, Orlando, FL Wayne Allen, Homer, NY Jay Allen, Rehoboth Beach, DE Christian Anthony Alonso, Las Vegas, NV Kimber Armstrong, Glendale, CA Daniel Arnold, Bloomfield, NM Mark Barnes, Perkasie, PA Christopher Bennett, Bethalto, IL Amelia Bruce, Fort Worth, TX Patty Bulger, Seattle, WA Brandon Burns, Cape Coral, FL Peter Calakoutis, Saugus, MA Christopher Cannizzaro, Highland, NY Chance Carstensen, Portland, OR Ze’ Carter, Leesburg, FL Francesco Casetta, Houston, TX Giulia Causarano, Long Island City, NY Karida Celestine, White Plains, MD Seville Christiansen, Mabton, WA Margery Cocalis, Allenhurst, NJ Brenda Collier, Oviedo, FL Shawn Conklin, Hendersonville, TN Dianne Cowan, Cambridge, MA Sherry Dailey, Florence, SC Christopher Dilba, Haddon Township, NJ Corey Dopson, Raymond, NH Alesia Dopson, Raymond, NH Donna Douglass, Ft. Montgomery, NY Joyce Drzewiecki, The Dalles, OR Eric Dunsen, White Marsh, MD Paulette Dusossoit, Belmont, MA Shericka Dyer, Minneapolis, MN Samantha Eaton, Charlotte, NC William Eddy, Henderson, NV Carolina Faulkner, Hamilton Square, NJ Cynthia Ferich, Charlotte, NC Melissa Flavell, Alexandria, VA Diane Fowler, Seattle, WA Ruth Frobe, Bainbridge Island, WA Marsha Gale, Charlotte, NC Ryan Galle, New Orleans, LA John Gifaldi, Powder Springs, GA

Stefani Glass, Atlanta, GA Alex Gonzalez, Salt Lake City, UT Elaine Good, Los Angeles, CA Deanna Graham, Houston, TX Bobby Greene, Seattle, WA Eliana Grubel, Bridgeport, CT Laura Hahnes, Lawrenceburg, KY Katie Hardie, Denver, CO Michael Hasson, Colton, CA Anna Hattauer, Monrovia, MD Chassis Hawkins-Younger, Oxon Hill, MD Ebony Haywood, Upper Marlboro, MD John Hellmers, Redonda Beach, CA Jennifer Heme, Jeffersonville, PA Patty Henley, CEC, Stevensville, MD Susan Hicks, Wilmington, DE Mirko Inglese, Windermere, FL Joe Jackson, San Diego, CA James Jens, Cedar Grove, WI Kari Jones, Edmonds, WA Tiffany Jones, Atlanta, GA John Paul Khoury, Elk Grove, CA Katy Klinnert Ellison, Franklin, WI Stephanie Laico, Wildomar, CA Christine Lapienski, Pompano Beach, FL Jaime Lawhorn, Tucson, AZ Shanna Leff, Austin, TX Grace Lieberman, Brooklyn, NY Jody Linkfield, Lowell, MI Elizabeth Long, Richmond, VA Pandara Benz Martin, La Quinta, CA Kyndra McCrary, Los Angeles, CA Daniel McKenna, Portland, OR Sharon McKinney, North Port, FL Allen Meadows, San Antonio, TX Debra Miley, Libertyville, IL Shelby Minnick, Shoreline, WA Blaine Mochtyak, Poland, OH Carmen O’Donnell, Fort Collins, CO Ruth Oesterman, Lexington, KY Matthew O’Varanese, Henrico, VA Yolanda Padilla, Pelham, NY Sharon Palmer, Eastham, MA Tammy Patterson, Baton Rouge, LA Tony Pentecost, Kill Devil Hills, NC Julie Peterson, Norwalk, CA Belinda Prattis, Baltimore, MD

Jeremy Proctor, Kansas City, MO Andrea Ragonese, Lake Worth, FL Ramie Ramirez, San Antonio, TX Ahmad Rashid, Atlanta, GA Corey Reed, Lake Mary, FL Barbara Rhodes, Xenia, OH Rameses Romero, Monrovia, CA Grace Rosanova, Los Angeles, CA Jennifer Rose, Cape Coral, FL Patrice Ross, Jacksonville, FL Victoria Rouch, Alton, VA Shanta Russell, Honolulu, HI Alesha Salahuddin, Lorton, VA Glory Sasser, Glorieta, NM Thomas Scangarello, Naples, FL Christiana Scott, Boulder, CO Sharrie Smith, Jacksonville, FL Jim Spurlin, Denver, CO Eliette Stall, Valley Village, CA Supasit Sunko, Elmhurst, NY Jessica Tabakin, Seattle, WA Marie Tejidor, Bothell, WA Tanya Thayer, North Waterboro, ME Antoine Patrick Thezan, Plantation, FL Mandy Traineanu, Weathersfield, VT Cathy Vogt, Highland, NY Pamela Warrington, St. Charles, IL Nicole Webb, La Habra, CA Emily Weinberger, Brooklyn, NY Daniel Wells, Miami, FL Corinne Whitmire, Simpsonville, SC Yvette Will, Morrison, CO Joy Williams, Leesburg, FL Antoinette Williams, Portland, OR Rebecca Wolfe, Portland, OR Sarah Wright, Lantana, FL Gilbert Zepeda, Santa Fe, NM

New USPCA Student Members Catherine Brown, Edgewood, MD Katherine Herer, Brighton, MA Christopher Martel, Atlanta, GA Paris Raymond, Marcus Hook, PA Irbania Tavares, New York, NY

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Where were you in 1991?

No doubt that when USPCA was founded in 1991, most of our current membership were not Personal Chefs and may not even have been thinking about being a Personal Chef. History has a way of putting so much into perspective and certainly we’ve all seen plenty of changes at both a macro and micro level over the past 25 years.

But it was a different time then, even if just 25 years ago.

What did it look like?

• • • • • • • • • • •

The U.S. invaded Kuwait and is joined by Canada Canada introduces the Canadian Goods and Services Tax (GST) a national sales tax The internet is made available to unrestricted commercial use and number of computers on the net reaches 1 million Microsoft Releases MS-DOS 5.0 Tim Berners-Lee introduces the web browser.

The Yearly Inflation Rate was 4.25% The Dow Jones Average topped 3,000 for the first time (it closed over 17,000 as this was written) Interest Rates Year End Federal Reserve 6.50% The Average Cost of new house $120,000 The Average Income per year was $29,430 Average Monthly Rent $495

And when you’re thinking about pricing your services to your clients and the costs of goods sold, imagine what your prices would be if these costs were still in place:

1 lb bacon $1.95

1 dozen eggs $.85

1 gallon milk $.99

1 lb sliced ham $1.99

1 lb seedless grapes $.59

1 gallon gas $1.12

awesome graphics by Freepik

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25 Free Low Cost Advertising Tips

by Tom Egelhoff

If there is one mistake small town businesses make more often than any other it’s, “What ever is left over, we’ll use for advertising.”

Marketing and advertising is an investment, not an expense. I know it sure seems like an expense to me when I’m writing the check, but trust me it’s not.

When do you advertise the most? For most businesses it’s the first day of business. Don’t you have a Grand Opening, balloons, flyers, ads, onsite radio stations, contests, and prizes? Did the income from sales pay for that? No, it didn’t. You advertise most when you need business. You advertise more when you don’t.

Here are 25 tips I hope will help you.

1. Radio, newspapers and magazine specialists will frequently give free help in developing an advertising strategy. Things like demographic information, money-saving ways to produce your ads etc.

2. Place your ads in off hours or in unusual locations for less.

Many times you can still reach your target market with these spots.

3. Instead of a one-time big splash ad, be consistent with frequent small ads that work.

4. Monthly magazines sometimes have unsold ad space at the end of the month they will sell at a discount.

5. If you have an 800 number, put it in every ad for immediate response and feedback.

6. Try advertising consistently in the classifieds. These ads may draw more customers than more expensive display ads.

7. Can you barter for the cost of ad production? Maybe the newspaper needs painting in exchange for an ad about your paint store.

8. Piggyback advertising is the ads you receive with your Mastercard bill. Is there someone in your town that sends out a lot of bills? Can you put a small flyer in with their bills and split the postage?

Or pay a small fee?

9. Split advertising costs with the people who sell to you. Vendors and manufactures are always looking for exposure. Let people know you carry their products and have the vendor pick up part of the ad cost.

10. Are there up front advertising discounts for cash?

11. Consider advertising in regional issues of national magazines.

The costs are lower and you can still reach your target market. TV Guide is a good choice. It stays around for at least a week. Time, Newsweek, and US News and World Report may stay in local doctors offices for years.

12. Share ad costs with neighbor business. Video stores and pizza parlors are natural partners. Have coupons to each other’s stores or share the cost of flyers.

13. Try reducing the size of your ad or length of your radio spots. A 60 second spot is not twice as much as a 30 second spot but you won’t get twice as many customers for a 60 over a 30. Going with small ads or shorter spots will allow you to do more ads, which normally pulls more customers. It’s better to be there every day with small ads than every month with one big one.

14. Develop tight production controls to minimize the need to reject finished ads. The message is more important than the messenger. Don’t try to produce ads that win awards, produce ads that sell.

15. Who are your very best customers? Aim your ads to talk directly to people like them.

16. What will suppliers give you in the way of point-of-purchase materials? Posters, stand ups, handouts, etc. Some have excellent display racks you can use.

17. Some national chains like Coke and Pepsi provide outdoor signs for businesses. There are also indoor lighted signs you write on with special markers to advertise your special offers.

18. Can you sponsor a community event? A fun-run, golf tournament, or other event that will be well publicized in the

community. Your name may not be prominently displayed but sometimes the positive exposure in the community will bring in new customers.

19. Small businesses can seldom afford saturation advertising.

You must be selective in the media that reaches your customers. Pin your ad reps down and make them show you exactly how their media reaches your target audience.

20. Exploit the media you choose to the fullest. If your message is verbal, you don’t need TV. Use radio, billboards and newspapers to the fullest.

21. Consider direct mail. A letter and brochure before customer contact can increase business. An IBM study concluded that selling time can be reduced from 9.3 to 1.3 total hours with direct mail advertising. A Sales and Marketing Executives International Study showed salespeople went from eight orders per 100 cold calls to 38 orders per 100 when direct mail was used.

22. Try an editorial style ad. These are ads that look like actual stories in the newspaper. They will have “advertisement” at the top of the article. Develop a good headline, and 50% more people will read the article than would read an ad of the same size.

23. You can’t match larger competitors dollar-for-dollar but you can use unusual approaches color, music, slogans, humor (be careful here), or media selection to win your market away from the big guys.

24. Due to the high costs of conventional advertising on, radio, TV, newspapers, many cost conscious business have been forced to look for lower cost methods. Can you advertise on parking meters, taxi boards, balloons, blimps, and grocery shopping carts? Community bulletin boards, movie ads, and weekly newspaper shoppers.

25. Key your ads. Put something in the ad that will let you know which media it came from. On coupons, put a code that will record the paper and date of the ad. In radio or TV, have them mention the ad to get the discount. Ask every customer how they found you.

26. Plan for a rainy day. During the year put a small amount aside each month for emergencies. You never know when you’ll need to react quickly to whatever the competition is doing. You must be able to capitalize on breaking national events or news regarding your industry.

If negative things happen in your industry you may need to respond quickly to make sure the right message is presented.

27. Always give the customer more than you promised and more than they expected. This is tip number 27 of the 25 we advertised.

Maybe this last one is the one you needed.

I hope these tips will help your business grow. Not all may be relevant to your particular situation. Hopefully, they will illustrate the importance to plan and control your advertising budget.

Used With Permission © Eagle Marketing PO Box 271, Bozeman, MT 59771-0271 http://www.smalltownmarketing.com - (406) 585-0219 Toll Free (888) 550-6100 Email: tommail@smalltownmarketing.com.

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25 Years of USPCA Recipes From Past Chefs of the Year To celebrate the USPCA’s 25th Anniversary, here are some favorite recipes from recent Personal Chefs of the Year.

Baked Berry Quinoa and Oatmeal

Ricotta and Roasted Tomato Bruschetta with Pancetta

2015 – Deb Cantrell

2014 – Karen Docimo

Serves 2-4 Prep time: 7 min Cook time: 40 min

I have made this with several variations.

One using a mild goat cheese, whipped with some cream, with pancetta diced and roasted alongside of the tomatoes, or using prosciutto. I like to top it with the sage oil, from the frying of the leaves!

1 cup rolled oats 1-cup quinoa (any color), rinsed ½ cup walnuts or pecans 1/3-cup natural sugar, maple syrup or coconut palm sugar 1 tsp. baking powder 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon ½ tsp. sea salt 2 cups milk/non diary milk (coconut milk is my favorite) 1- egg 3 – tbsp. butter or dairy free butter 2 tsp. vanilla 1 ½ cup mixed berries 2 bananas Preheat oven to 375 and spray olive oil in your pan to prevent sticking.

Mix together oats, quinoa, half of nuts, sugar (if using otherwise add maple syrup with wet ingredients) baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

(Note: this can be done ahead of time) In a separate bowl lightly beat egg and add milk, vanilla, maple syrup (if using) and half of the slightly cooled butter. Place banana slices on the bottom of the prepared pan. Top with ingredients over and make sure the dry ingredients are covered. Top with remaining berries and nuts.

Bake for 40 minutes. Drizzle with remaining melted butter and additional maple syrup or sugar if desired.

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Servings: 8 Ingredients: 10 ounces multicolored cherry tomatoes 2 garlic cloves, thickly sliced 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling Kosher salt Pepper 4 thin slices of pancetta 32 sage leaves 1 pound fresh ricotta cheese 8 slices of country bread, cut 1/4-inch thick and toasted Flaky sea salt, for serving Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 325°. In a bowl, toss the tomatoes with the garlic and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil; season with kosher salt and pepper. Transfer the tomatoes to one side of a parchment-lined baking sheet and lay the pancetta slices out on the other side. Bake for 25 minutes, until the pancetta is crisp. Transfer the pancetta to paper towels to drain, then crumble.

2. Roast the tomatoes for about 10 more minutes, until bursting and lightly caramelized.

Transfer the tomatoes and any rendered fat from the pancetta to a bowl.

3. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil over moderately high heat. Add the sage and fry until bright green and crisp, 30 to 45 seconds. Drain the sage on paper towels; reserve the oil for another use.

4. Spread the ricotta on the toasts and top with the tomatoes and crumbled pancetta. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper and top the toasts with the sage leaves. Serve immediately.

Georgia Summer Ambrosia

Chilled Cucumber-Avocado Soup

Yield 8 servings; 1 cup per serving

serves 5 (bowls) or 10 ‘cups’

2 ripe Georgia peaches, peeled, pit removed, cut into 1/2-inch slices 3 cups watermelon cubes, about 3/4inch dice 1 1/4 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed 2 ripe mangos, peeled, seed removed, chopped into 1/2-inch dice 1 cup sweetened coconut (toasted if desired) 1/3 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice 1 1/2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or Triple Sec 4 teaspoons honey Pinch kosher salt 1 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped

1 lb. cucumber 2 medium Haas avocadoes 3 cups vegetable broth 1/3 cup red onion*, chopped 1 ½ tablespoons fresh dill weed, plucked from stems ¼ cup fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon sea salt ¾ teaspoon white pepper additional dill weed for garnish

2013 – Rosemary Rutland

In large bowl, combine peaches, watermelon, blueberries, mango and coconut. In small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, Grand Mariner, honey and salt.

Pour lime mixture over fruit and toss to coat.

Cover and refrigerate for no more than 30 minutes. Just before serving, mix in pecans.

2012 – Monica Thomas

Peel the cucumber and then cut in half across the cucumber (NOT the long way). If cucumber is extra long, cut the halves in half. Then cut all the pieces in half the long way.

With a spoon, gently scoop out the seeds and discard them. Chop the cucumber coarsely trying to keep the pieces roughly the same size.

Place the cucumber in the blender.

Cut the avocados in half the long way – there is a large pit in the middle so you cannot cut all the way through. Roughly chop up the avocado. Add avocado to the blender.

Add about half of the vegetable broth to the blender.

Add the red onion, dill weed and lemon juice.

Season with salt and pepper.

Make sure the lid is on the blender tightly. Start the blender on low and then gradually turn up the speed until you are at the highest level. Puree the mixture until smooth. Pour into a large bowl and whisk in the rest of the vegetable broth. Store in the refrigerator to chill before serving.

When ready to serve, ladle or pour soup into bowl or cup. Place a sprig of dill in the center of each. *can also use other onions such as Vidalia, scallions or shallots.

Recipe adapted from a Rancho La Puerta recipe NOTE: This makes a great starter for summer dinners. It holds its color for several days in the fridge. And, I double the white pepper for a spicier soup.

Personal Chef | 9

Yummy-ized Blinis with Dilled Egg Salad

Caesar Salad

2011 – Debbie Spangler

2010 – Tim Stewart

Makes 36 Egg salad modified from: The New Professional Chef: The Culinary Institute of America; 1996

Recipe created by Tim Stewart Freshly ground pepper 1 tablespoon anchovy paste 4 cloves garlic, minced (2 cloves is adequate unless you like it really garlicky) 4 dashes Tabasco pepper sauce 4 dashes Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon vinegar 6 to 9 tablespoons mayonnaise ½ cup olive oil 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped croutons bacon bits Parmesan cheese

1 recipe: Deviled Egg Salad with Dill 36 Pepperidge Farm rye or sourdough party bread slices 2T butter, room temperature ¼ c Tobiko caviar, fresh* Garnish with any or all of the following: sour cream onion, finely minced dill sprig Old Bay Seasoning Preheat oven to 350. Toast bread slices about 5-8 minutes each side. Cool completely.

Make Deviled Egg Salad with Dill and refrigerate until ready to assemble Blinis.

To assemble: Spread a very thin layer of butter over the entire area of one side of the toasted bread. Top with a generous layer of Deviled Egg Salad completely covering the bread to all edges.

Using a plastic or glass spoon (do not use metal), carefully place a dollop of caviar in the middle of the egg salad. Top with a swirl of sour cream and garnish with any combination of finely minced onion, fresh dill sprig, Old Bay Seasoning or an additional pinch of caviar.

Carefully cover and keep refrigerated for up to 4 hours.

Remove from refrigerator at least 20 minutes before serving and allow to come to room temperature.

Deviled Egg Salad with Dill 6 hard boiled eggs, peeled 2 T mayonnaise 2 T sour cream 1-½ t Dijon mustard 1 T parsley, fresh, chopped 1 T dill, fresh, chopped + additional for garnish 1 T chives, fresh, chopped salt and pepper, to taste Using a box grater on the medium grate side, grate the hard boiled eggs into a medium-sized bowl. Add mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon, parsley, dill, chives and salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Refrigerate until needed or, covered, up to 4 days.

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Mix first 9 ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Leave for client in fridge along with Romaine, bacon bits and Parmesan cheese, store croutons in pantry.

Salad components are in the fridge: washed and chopped romaine lettuce, bacon bits, Parmesan cheese and the dressing. Croutons are in the pantry. Toss all ingredients together and enjoy.

Thai High BBQ Shrimp

Roasted Pork with a Thyme-Mustard Sauce

Ingredients 2 pounds large raw shrimp, about 40 (I use size 16 – 20’s) Lime slices for garnish (optional)

Makes 4 servings

2009 – Robyn Goorevitch

Thai High Marinade 6 cloves fresh garlic, minced 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced 4 whole Serrano pepper, minced, including seeds 2 whole green onion, minced 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced 1 tablespoon lime zest 1/4 cup fresh lime juice 1/4 cup hoisin sauce 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1/4 cup fish sauce 1/4 cup honey 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce 2 tablespoons cooking oil Advance Preparation: Using scissors, cut the shrimp shells along the back. Cut deeply into the shrimp then rinse away the veins. Cover and refrigerate the shrimp. In a small bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients and stir well. If not using right away, cover and refrigerate. All advance prep may be completed up to 8 hours before you begin final steps. When you are ready to grill or oven roast, marinate shrimp for at least 30 minutes prior to cooking. Soak skewers and skewer shrimp. Place in marinade.

2008 – Wendy Gauthier

1/4 cup creme fraiche 1/4 cup Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons thyme, fresh, minced 1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloins 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon canola oil 1/2 cup white wine Heat oven to 400-degrees.

In a bowl stir together creme fraiche, mustard and thyme. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper, sear in skillet over medium high heat until browned. Place pork in shallow roasting pan.

Deglaze sauté pan with wine and pour over pork.

Brush pork with 2 tablespoons of mustard mixture. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until 145 degrees. Place roasting pan over low heat, whisk remaining mustard mixture in pan juices.

Slice pork, cool and freeze with sauce over it.

Client instructions: Thaw in refrigerator, and then heat in microwave until hot throughout, 3 to 4 minutes.

To Grill: Preheat grill to 350 F or medium. Brush cooking rack with oil then lay the shrimp on the grill or on a grill screen. Grill the shrimp on both sides until they are evenly pink on the outside and white throughout, about 4 minutes total cooking time. As the shrimp cooks, brush on the marinade. The shrimp are done when they reach 158 F / 70 C. To Serve: Transfer the shrimp to a heated serving platter or heated dinner plates, garnish with lime slices and serve at once.

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Black Bean Soup with Mexican Chorizo Sausage

Orange & Ginger Sauce

Add Chorizo for additional flavor and protein.

Servings: 4-6

1 cup orange juice Grated peel of 1/2 orange 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1/4 cup ketchup 1/4 cup cider vinegar 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon soy sauce 2 tablespoons molasses 4 garlic cloves, finely minced to a paste 1 small onion, finely grated 1-inch fresh ginger, finely grated 1 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water (optional) Salt

2007 – Rick Sost (1946-2009)

Ingredients: 1 pound sausage, chorizo fresh about 4 links 2 tablespoons olive oil 1¼ cup onion, medium dice 2 celery stalks, medium dice 2 carrots, medium diced 1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, or 1 ½ tsp. dried 2 15-ounce cans black beans (I use Goya) drained, ½ cup liquid reserved 4 cups chicken broth, low fat, reduced sodium 28 ounces tomatoes, canned, diced canned tomatoes 2 teaspoons cumin, ground 1½ teaspoons hot pepper sauce Salt/pepper to taste Cilantro, fresh, minced (optional) ½ cup sour cream Bake Chorizo in a 350-degree oven for approximately 25 minutes until no longer pink. Let cool on paper towels.

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onions, celery and carrots; sauté about 5-6 minutes until onion is golden. Add garlic and thyme; sauté for 1 minute.

Add beans, ½ cup of reserved bean liquid, stock, and tomatoes with juices, cumin, hot pepper sauce and corn.

Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to mediumlow simmer until flavors blend and soup thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.

Working in 2 batches, puree 3 cups of soup in a blender until smooth. Mix pureed soup back into soup in the pot.

Cut chorizo into half-moon pieces about ¼ inch thick. Add chorizo to soup and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

12 | Personal Chef

2006 – Scott Wilson (1956-2014)

Put the orange juice in a pan and bring to a boil, skimming any foam from the surface. Boil until reduced by half; then add the rest of the ingredients except for the cornstarch mixture. If the sauce is not of the desired thickness and the cornstarch mixture and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Makes about 1-3/4 cup.

Great for glazing, sliced flank steak, chicken breasts, and pork tenderloin.

From the Air Force to Personal Cheffing

Denise Bonds and Tracey Callahan went to 25th Air Force on Lackland Air Force Base to participate in National Women’s History month on Tuesday, March 2, 2016. They were both stationed there during one of their tours in the Air Force.

They demonstrated healthy meal preparation for busy professionals, former colleagues and friends.

Here is the verbiage 25th Air Force put on their Facebook page: 25th Air Force alumnae turned culinary professionals help kick-start National Women’s History month here Monday.

Chefs demonstrated healthy meal preparation for busy professionals!

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Liability Insurance Frequently Asked Questions

Protecting your business and your assets is a basic business tenet. In addition to protection, your liability insurance through USPCA is an added comfort to your clients who recognize your status as an industry professional.

If your business operations encompass in-home cooking for your clients, then the USPCA insurance program will provide you with a basic level of liability insurance coverage. Active USPCA members in good standing are covered under the program as part of their member benefit package.

Why is this program beneficial to me?

As you look into liability insurance, your local agent may be able to provide options for you. However, in the insurance industry there is currently no coding or rating category for Personal Chefs.

Unfortunately, this means that most option coverage’s you will be offered by your local agent will have you rated as a catering operation or general business liability. Because there isn’t a specific rating for Personal Chefs, the insurance can sometimes be expensive (varying from $300 to $1,000 per year) or may not be available. USPCA has created a unique program with help from the insurance industry. The program allows all active USPCA members to participate in the policy and receive basic liability insurance coverage.

Who is eligible to participate in the program?

The USPCA Independent Personal Chef Insurance Program is a benefit available to all active USPCA members. There is no additional cost as the insurance benefit is included in your membership dues as a member benefit.

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What kind of coverage will I have with this program?

The liability insurance policy issued to the USPCA authorizes the USPCA to extend coverage to members in good standing. This insurance is a General Liability policy that provides coverage with the following limitations: $1,000,000 (one million dollar) General Liability coverage per occurrence. This includes property damage and bodily injury.

The policy includes a $10,000 sublimit for objects in the care, custody and control of the chef. This policy has a $3,000,000 aggregate annual limit. A $500 deductible applies to each claim. $1,000,000 (one million dollar) Professional Liability coverage per occurrence. This policy has a $3,000,000 aggregate annual limit. A $1000 deductible applies to each claim.

This coverage applies to situations where the Personal Chef is conducting his/her service at the client’s home. Accidental damage or injury to the client’s property or person as a direct result of the Personal Chef’s actions are covered.

The policy only provides coverage in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

How does the USPCA insurance program work?

This policy is written for the Members of the USPCA as a whole. This means that the coverage applies to members as long as they are listed in the association roster as a “member in good standing”. The limits of coverage provided under this policy are for the association and not for each individual member. Because of the policy wording, individual members are covered under this policy rather than each chef’s business. Due to this stipulation, the chef who is listed as a member in good standing is covered under this policy as are his/her employees or business partners. Volunteers or sub-contractors of the chef’s business will not be covered. The exception to this rule is that there will be coverage for events and services provided using multiple “member chefs” as long as they are providing the same service and the event or service coincides with the covered operations listed below.

What kinds of services are covered by the USPCA insurance program?

Below is an explanation of the operations covered under this policy: Policy Wording: Personal Chef Services in a Client’s Home Description: This policy wording applies to the “standard services.”

Standard services include the preparing and freezing of meals for the client’s later consumption (example: five by four services). There are no limits on number of prepared and frozen meals that can be cooked in one standard service. There is no food service allowed under this type of service.

This policy wording also applies to “meal services.” Meal services involve the preparing and serving of meals taking place in a client’s home to specifically invited guests. The maximum number of guests allowed per meal service is 30. This number of guests stands as is regardless of the number of member chefs present. This policy is not intended to cover any “Come One, Come All” types of situations (i.e. a block party where the number of guests is not known and the meal is not the primary reason for the event). Due to the General Conditions above, there will be no coverage for any hired help (i.e. servers, sous chefs, etc.) that are not USPCA members in good standing.

Policy Wording: Store Demonstrations Description: This policy wording applies to cooking demonstrations or handing out of samples at a store location. This coverage is not intended to cover operations of any kind at a location that is not a store (i.e. a convention center or other commercial building).

A demonstration refers to an event in which there is no spectator participation. The classic example of a store demonstration is handing out samples at a grocery store.

These descriptions are for illustration purposes only. All coverages are subject to actual terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions of the policy forms. In the event of a discrepancy between the summary and the policy forms, the policy forms will supersede this description.

Exclusions The following situations are not covered by this policy: • • • • • • • •

Catering Use of a commercial kitchen Demonstrations where a client, guest or spectator participates in the event.

Cooking Classes conducted any place other than a client residence Theft Injury or damages to the Personal Chef Non-compliance with the USPCA Code of Ethics resulting in a claim will not be covered Purchase of, or serving of, alcoholic beverages for consumption (wine, sherry, etc is allowable as a recipe ingredient)

I already have Business Owners insurance Policy. How does this program affect me?

The USPCA insurance program is a basic liability insurance program and will provide you with basic liability insurance coverage in addition to your existing policy.

Since I already have insurance coverage, can I maintain my membership without the insurance benefit?

Your USPCA membership encompasses many benefits that are included in your membership fee. Since, we do not charge for Policy Wording: Cooking Classes in a Client’s Home individual membership benefits, we cannot exclude a membership benefit for a member. It’s similar to an automobile purchase. The car Description: This policy wording applies to the provision of instructional comes with the windshield wipers even if you don’t want them or need cooking classes conducted at a client residential location. The term them. chef or instructor will identify the USPCA member conducting the class. The term student or participant will refer to a person involved I am a USPCA member currently operating in the class and receiving instruction. The chef will conduct the my business outside the USA. Will I be instructional class and take all reasonable precautions to provide for able to take advantage of the insurance a safe instructional environment. The class size will be limited to ten (10) participants or less. Insurance coverage is for actions by the chef program benefit? and provides property damage and bodily injury coverage like that provided during a Personal Chef Service. This policy is not coverage The USPCA insurance program only provides coverage in the United for participants. This policy will not provide coverage in the event a States, Canada and Puerto Rico. So if you operate your business in student is injured (by self or other student), or property damage occurs another country, you will not be covered under the USPCA insurance as a result of student actions. program.

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Personal Chefs Head to Providence, RI in July Personal Chefs from around the country will join in Providence, Rhode Island, from July 7-10 this year to celebrate the USPCA’s 25th anniversary at the National Education Conference.

The Conference attracts some of the country’s best speakers who connect Personal Chefs to the business knowledge that underpins their business success.

One of this year’s keynote speakers is The Retro Rad Chef Emily Ellyn, winner of “Cupcake Wars” on The Food Network. Chef Emily is one of over 30 speakers at this year’s event.

Conferences are more than the sessions, the talks, or the demos. Conferences are all about the breaks, the dinners, and the bar at the conference hotel after the day’s done. USPCA members say the most important aspect of attending the National Education Conference is the opportunity to meet people that they wouldn’t have otherwise ever met. It’s the random, the chaotic, the unexpected, unplanned discovery. Think of the annual National Education Conference as a necessary investment to support and grow your business.

Member Jodi Giroux posted on the “I am a Personal Chef.” Facebook group, encouraging fellow members to register for the Conference: “If anyone’s on the fence about going to conference, don’t be. I’ve been a member for six years now and attended my first conference last year. I’ve attended other professional conferences before, and this is by far the best. You’ll walk away with a new supportive family and friends and have a lot of fun. Oh, you’ll also learn several things throughout the classes too! Did I mention you get to eat in some of the classes? How about some hands on experiences? Do you like to laugh? There’s plenty of that too.

I’ve forgotten to mention how awesome the USPCA staff are. They’re there too, with smiles and are very helpful. Seriously, you won’t regret going!”

Can’t afford it? You can’t afford NOT to go, especially if you’re new!

We have sessions for every type of chef: From brand new chefs looking to engage in their business to seasoned chefs looking for unique cooking methods. It’s all here, and it’s all for you, the Personal Chef.

For Culinary Knowledge

For Marketing and Sales

And More!

Food Trends Nutrigenomics Grass-Fed Beef for Your Table Paleo Cooking Coffee Tasting Chowder Wars Microbrew Tastings How to Prevent Food Waste Fish Filleting and Oyster Shucking Cooking with Sheep Cheese Cooking Sea Vegetables Cooking with Mushrooms Cooking for Kids Farm to Table Plating and Presentation Cooking with Cider Nutrition No-Nonsense Menu Flow and Flavors Cooking for Athletes Cooking for Fussy Eaters

Get People to Rave About Your Business Online Public Relations for the Personal Chef Boost Your Business with Video Lights, Camera, Action!

Grow Your Business Online How to Market on the Web Blogging for Personal Chefs Digital Guidance Social Media Simplified How to Get More Clients How to Close More Business Alternative Income Streams

Chapter Panel Seasoned Chef Panel Certified Personal Chef Exam Emily Ellyn Keynote Address USPCA Awards Presentation Roundtable Discussion Know Your USPCA Benefits Ergonomics in a Chef’s Day New Chef Essentials: A Day in the Life New Chef Essentials: More Than Cooking Modernmeal: Basic and Advanced

For more information, go to http://www.uspca.com/conference.

Use the code “magazine” to save $25 off of your registration.

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An Interview with Mark Hudgins, founder of Modernmeal

By Dan Chancellor

In the past few years I’ve had the pleasure to get to know Mark Hudgins, founder of Modernmeal. As some of you may know, we partnered with Mark and Modernmeal to help move our industry forward. The concept of cooking is prehistoric and while techniques and tools have evolved and industries created like ours, Personal Chefs have not benefited from advances in technology like other industries have. The USPCA is on a mission to change that, and Mark Hudgins is helping us to make that possible.

Dan Chancellor: Mark how would you describe yourself?

Who is Mark Hudgins?

Mark Hudgins: I think you can tell a lot about a person by what they love and what motivates them. I love my wife Marlaine, my family, my bulldog Lil Miss Tank, surfing, being near the water, and I like taking on big challenges. I’m obsessed with slow cooking meats, particularly smoking brisket and I love taking “cheat meals” and making them healthy. I really enjoy cooking for people I love, and I hate being inefficient. That’s one thing that drives me crazy but also motivates me.

Dan: What have you cooked lately?

Mark: Our friends just had a baby so we took them Asian spiced short ribs with polenta and Asian slaw last week. I’ve been perfecting my cast iron skillet pizza with a coconut flour crust which has been fun.

And grouper cheeks -- we love grouper cheeks! I make a lot of yellow curry too. I’m not sure who likes my curry more, Marlaine or Tank. It’s a toss up.

Dan: What inspired you to create Modernmeal?

Mark: Food has had a profound impact on me throughout my life. As a very sick child, when doctors thought I had leukemia or Hodgkin’s disease, my Mom put me on a highly restrictive whole foods diet and I was brought back to full health within a couple of years. I started helping my mom in the kitchen when I was five and as a result I had a great understanding of the impact of food on health at a young age.

A few years ago my Mom was diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer and was given six months to live. We again turned to food and a highly restrictive diet which we believe extended her life three times longer than doctors predicted chemo could while maintaining a great quality of life. In all the years between those experiences, it was food that gathered our family of eight around the table; that was where life happened at the Hudgins’ house. Because of my background I knew how to cook, enjoyed doing so and fully understood the health and communal value of eating a home cooked meal. Yet my wife and I struggled to cook dinner Monday through Friday because we didn’t have the right tools to help us plan and prepare to cook.

Originally, Modernmeal was a solution to my personal pain points in preparing dinner after a long day at work. I had recipes scattered everywhere, cookbooks, family recipes on index cards, bookmarked online, emails, etc. I needed one place to keep all of my recipes and the ability to access them anytime, anywhere, on any device. I wanted to keep track of my personal preferences as well as the preferences of those I cooked for and be able to pair recipes to preferences. I wanted an efficient way to plan my meals for an extended period of time. I really needed to take my meal plan and turn it into an organized grocery list automatically. Turns out, Personal Chefs have very similar needs.

Dan: Are you a chef?

Mark: My wife thinks I’m her Personal Chef. But no, not a chef. I just enjoy cooking.

Dan: What is Modernmeal?

Mark: Modernmeal is a web and mobile platform specifically designed for the needs of personal chefs. We combine a chef’s recipes, customers, and cook dates in one place online. You can create menus, grocery list and all customer documents easily. It’s become an essential tool for chefs to help speed up planning time and all the tasks associated with a cook date. We’re the only technology company I know of that is focused on personal chefs and is committed to continually pushing the boundaries of how technology can improves their lives and businesses.

Dan: That’s pretty ambitious, what did you do next?

Mark: After testing almost every recipe management software and website out there, I became obsessed with creating a solution that met these common needs. At the time I was an executive at a leading sports technology company. We built software for coaches and teams in the NBA, NFL, NHL and NCAA that would automate manual tasks in order to make them more effective and efficient when preparing for games. I felt like I had the experience I needed and it was time for me to pursue my passion for Modernmeal full-time. I quit my job and was all in. It’s amazing where the road can lead you when you’re following your passion.

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Dan: How did you end up focusing on Personal Chefs?

Mark: My original vision was that Modernmeal would be a consumerfocused website that simplified the process of cooking. As fate would have it, my wife and I were doing a very early demonstration of Modernmeal at an Orlando technology meetup, and the USPCA was in attendance. They approached us afterwards about tailoring Modernmeal towards Personal Chefs. Like most people, I thought Personal Chefs just cooked for a wealthy family so I was hesitant at first because I was focused on changing the world for home cooks.

After meeting with Larry and the USPCA team, I learned more about Personal Chefs and realized we shared the same passion. We are driven by the desire to see people gathered together to enjoy a good meal. We decided to change direction, realizing that we would be honored to serve those that shared our passion. Some of the best things in life are totally unexpected or as my Mom would say, we were “living in the unforced rhythms of grace.”

like a proud parent at that moment. I think a lot of chefs felt a sense of relief once their recipes were downloaded from MenuMagic and in Modernmeal. You never know when your computer or the software will crash and your most treasured recipes are gone.

Secondly, we made it easy to add new recipes. You can search the web for recipes directly from Modernmeal and add them to your account. If you are on a popular recipe website, you can use our bookmark tool to import that recipe or you can copy and paste a recipe you already have. Again, the USPCA’s recipe collection is available for all users so you get 1,400 recipes right off the bat.

Dan: How did you determine what chefs need?

Mark: We started by working with a handful of Personal Chefs from the USPCA to understand their processes and day-to-day needs. Through an extensive beta testing period, we had these chefs and others use Modernmeal and provide feedback. We worked diligently to improve the site and create new features based on their needs. We continue to make improvements based on user feedback so it’s always evolving.

Dan: You said before Modernmeal has lots of cool stuff.

What do you love the most about it?

Mark: At a high level I love that I can support small businesses. Other entrepreneurs just like me that want to go out and make their clients’ lives easier and brighter. You can have a tough day but there is something about coming home and sitting at the table with people you love eating an excellent meal that feels good and kind of restores your soul. You know what I mean?

Dan: I do. That’s probably why my wife does the cooking.

My frozen taco dinners don’t do much for the soul.

Mark: Haha, I could see that.

Dan: I’m guessing you use Modernmeal pretty regularly then for your personal needs?

Dan: If I’m a chef, why would I use Modernmeal?

Mark: Modernmeal was built based on what Personal Chefs need to run their business. There is no other software out there for Personal Chefs that is well supported and combines everything needed from planning to actually cooking. It’s all built with efficiency in mind. Not only do we make it easy to plan a cook date, you get conflict alerts, can exclude recipes you have served recently, you can access the USPCA’s recipe collection and we provide nutritional information for all your recipes. Most of all I think our users like that they see new updates on a weekly basis that incorporates their feedback. We are very serious about listening to our customers and continually pushing to make Modernmeal better and better. Also, we hear that chefs really like our responsive customer support, which will always be a big focus for us.

Dan: What if I already have a ton of recipes saved somewhere else? Why would I switch to Modernmeal?

Mark: That’s a great question. It all starts with recipes and we know that. We knew from our own experience that it has to be easy to create a recipe collection. First, we had to make it easy to import recipes from existing platforms like MenuMagic, Paprika, MacGourmet, MasterCook, Shopn’Cook and any other programs, and we did. I think it was our first import test and we imported a collection of more than 4,000 recipes with all the category tags in less than 20 minutes. I was

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Mark: Yes, not just for weekly planning but my family of eight has grown to a family of 50. We get together a lot for birthdays, celebrations and holidays so we are constantly planning the menu for the next event. It’s been great for that. Also, I’m starting to collect more and more family recipes. It’s really comforting to know that I can keep all of these family heirlooms in one place and safe. I’d be devastated if something happened and I couldn’t pass them on. We back up all of our data throughout the day so I never worry about losing something that my family has built over generations.

Dan: Final thoughts for our chefs?

Mark: If someone reads this and only remembers one thing, I hope it’s what we stand for. Our mission is to simplify the process of cooking because we believe in the importance of gathering people around a good meal. We are blessed to be able to do what we do every day in supporting people that share our passion.

Editor’s note: To learn more about Modernmeal, go to www.Modernmeal.com.

New England Chefs Attend International Food Tasting Event April 13, 2016 - The New England Chapter of the USPCA was once again in attendance for the 3rd annual International Food Tasting to benefit the Literacy Center in Attleboro, MA. The mission of The Literacy Center is to provide literacy services and educational support of the highest quality to individuals and families seeking to acquire the skills needed to attain personal and employment goals The event was once again sold out, raising a good amount of money through tickets, raffles and community outreach. Our table has become a highlight with attendees searching us out and remembering what we have made in previous years. We were surrounded by caterers, a few restaurants, and food service groups such as Stop&Shop and Bliss Dairy.

Norbert Klotz worked the crowd while Deb Fernandez and Lara Moritz of My Chef Lara served their dueling chilis - a vegan quinoa and bean chili with some heat, and a more traditional beef chili. Laura MacDougall of Home Plate Advantage served carrot burfi - an Indian sweet similar to a soft fudge. Everyone loved our dishes and even remembered things we have made past years.

We are very happy to be a part of this local fundraising event and look forward to future years of offering creative and truly “PC� food.

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Special offers are hardly a new marketing strategy.

Long before email and social media marketing, special offers and promotions played an important role in how small businesses could attract new customers and drive repeat business.

While offers used to consist of coupons in local papers or promotions spread through word of mouth, today there are more ways to promote an offer and track its impact on your business.

Want to create the perfect offer to engage your audience and boost business? Answer these questions first: 1. What is valuable to your audience?

For your offer to be effective it needs to be valuable to your audience.

Offering a discount or coupon is a great way to get your audience’s attention, but how do you make your offer so compelling people can’t help but act on it?

Beyond email, make your offer visible in-store and on your active social media profiles.

Tip: One of the best parts of special offers is that they’re highly shareable. Remind your existing audience to share your offer with their friends, so they can get in on the deal. Whether they forward your email, share your social post, or simply tell their friends — this a great way for your business to get in front of new customers.

4. How will you measure your results?

If you’ve run an offer in the past, tracking your results may have been one of the hardest parts of your promotion.

We recently created a worksheet to help you plan timely email promotions all year round.

If coupons or discounts don’t make sense for your audience, offer value through exclusive content, advice, or a free product trial. Just be clear on what you’re offering and how it will help your audience.

2. What is the goal of your offer?

A great offer benefits your audience and your business. Spend some time thinking about what you hope to achieve with your offer. Are you looking to drive last-minute sales during a slow day? Maybe you want to bring first-time customers back into your store?

Your goal will dictate the terms of your offer, the discount you provide, the length of time you decide to let it run, and who you promote the offer to. For example, Door County Coffee & Tea sends an offer to new customers for $10 off their next purchase. This helps the store turn new customers into repeat business.

3. How are you going to promote your offer?

Email is one of the most effective ways to promote your offer. In fact, 66 percent of consumers have made a purchase as a result of an email marketing message.

You can create a trackable coupon in your Constant Contact account.

Promote your coupon with a mobile-responsive email template, and keep track of its performance all in one place.

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Today, there are easy-to-use tools that can help track the results of your offer from start to finish. When you create a trackable coupon with Constant Contact for example, you can monitor who’s claimed, redeemed, and shared your offer.

Start planning your next offer!

Answer the four questions above, and you’ll be ready to create an offer that engages your customers and drives business.

No matter what your offer entails, you need to have the right tools to put your offer into action — Constant Contact can help.

by Miranda Paquet

Exercise Your Writing Muscles

By Nikki Croes The first time I went to a Barre class, I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it to the end. After about 15 minutes, I was plotting my exit.

The next time I went it was more of the same, but after about 2 weeks, I felt my body adjust and shift. My posture improved, my core strengthened and I could actually climb steps again. Exercise doesn’t come easy, but over time you continue to improve until your activity becomes second nature. The same applies to sports, instruments, even blogging!

Blogging is fast becoming one of the best ways to market your business online. It invites engagement, conversation and connection, which ultimately lead to conversion. To put it bluntly, blogging can help you land new clients. But while we all know it’s good for us (like those crazy Barre classes), it can still be hard to maintain.

There are a plethora of reasons why you can’t blog: you don’t have time; you don’t think you’re a good writer; you don’t have anything to say. But starting a blog isn’t too unlike learning to play guitar. You have to do it often to do it well.

So how do you improve your writing skills? Exercise them every day.

5 Ways to Exercise Your Writing Muscles: 1. Free Write: Buy a notebook or journal (something that’s pleasant to look at). Pick a time each day.

Write daily. Even if you write nothing more than what you’re grateful for or how you’re feeling, get yourself in the habit of writing consistently and without judgment.

2. Be Well Read: It can be hard to put your thoughts into words. Even the best writers feel stagnant from time to time. Reading magazines, articles and blogs can help you overcome writer’s block by providing you with ideas, thoughts and opinions. It also improves your vocabulary—isn’t that stupendous?

3. Take Note: Inspiration is everywhere, but it’s so easy to forget a few days, even a few hours, later. If a client gives you a rave review, you discover a new kitchen gadget or you try a delicious pastry, write it down. This can serve as fodder for blogs, marketing materials and web pages or give you ideas for new recipes and culinary services.

4. Travel Often: Hmmm… you might be wondering where this came from. How would a Caribbean cruise help my writing, you ask? New experiences and environments can vastly open your mind and give you a fresh perspective on food, art and life. If you can’t get somewhere exotic, go on a local adventure. You’ll return surging with creativity.

5. Tune Out: The world is loud. As busy chefs and entrepreneurs, we’re constantly bombarded with emails, questions and to-do lists. So take a few minutes every day to sit in silence. Light a candle, close your eyes and just breath. A cluttered mind creates anxiety. A calm mind creates magic.

If you’re looking for even more tips on starting and maintaining a successful blog, check out my Blogging for Personal Chefs session at Conference on July 9 at 9:45am.

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Does Social Media Activity Impact SEO? The key to online marketing success and ranking your website is search engine optimization. As a small business owner, you want your website to be listed among the top search engine results when people search for something related to your products or services.

That is the holy grail now and forever amen.

rules the world of SEO. We know social media is mainly about posting and sharing great content, thus I believe it definitely enhances your SEO efforts in some capacity. Google sees it as quality content (A Social Post) by a credible sources (You) thus should be ranked accordingly.

Well we hear it all over the place there are way too many ways to enhance the SEO of your website and of course every SEO expert has a secret formula. However, it is important to note that Social Media as known as social signals are an important piece of the puzzle but they are just a piece.

I see many business owners are under the impression that the more page “Likes” and “Followers” they get the better SEO success they will achieve as a result. The belief is that if you have 100,000 followers on Google+, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook, that must mean you are well-known to the search engines, right?

Let me answer that simply with a “No” Many studies have shown a correlation between higher search rankings and social media online activity and many feel they may not be directly related. Even Google’s main man of search, Matt Cutts has stated the following.

“To the best of my knowledge, we don’t currently have any signals like that in our web search ranking algorithms.” – Matt Cutts Basically he is saying that the search engine spider that Google sends out to crawl and rank social media posts are not getting looked at all that much.

So Then Social Media Content Has No Value in SEO? Well I would not say that social media content is looked at as really valuable, quality content, but it is looked at for sure no matter what Google pretends to say. The thing is that SEO is constantly changing and content is even more relevant in today’s social focused content

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Is Social Media the New Link Juice?

Gone are the days when we could just buy a bunch of backlinks from random sources; the search engines got smart and decided that any old backlink won’t cut it and laid some heavy penalties to those using back links this way. Now socials media posts from sites such as Twitter, Google+, and Facebook are now powerful credible backlinks to your website that will definitely contribute to your overall SEO efforts.

Does Social Engagement Matters If you use sites such as Google+, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to share links and other connections to your website, chances are better that more people will check it out and talk about it. Once people are talking about something, sharing links, and posting about the content, social signals kick up a notch. Speaking of Google+... obviously, this is Google’s favorite social media platform. Therefore, being consistent and active there is a surefire way to boost SEO.

Social Media Profiles Rank in Search Engines Social media profiles also rank in the search engines, which is a great way for additional exposure. If you do a search for any company’s brand name, they’re social media profiles are likely to show up in the results. The visual to the left shows local ranking factors.

In conclusion, social media definitely plays a strong role in your search engine rankings. While there is no definite outline on how it all works together, it is a fact that social media is a valuable addition to your marketing efforts. Focus on consistent engagement and creating great, shareable content and you’re on your way.

(Image Credit Moz Overall Local Search Ranking Factor 2015)

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Know Your Costs

Understanding the variable costs, the non-variable costs, and the value of your hourly rate will help you price your services.

One of the most frequently asked questions on the USPCA Facebook Group is…”a client asked me to do “X”. What would you charge?”

Not only is it the most frequently asked but its the most dangerous of questions and for two primary reasons.

First, as a business, there are so many unique elements that go into the costs of your business so you can determine your price:

the costs is worth the service. The other is to understand the value of your hourly rate. Determine the number of hours you’ll need to work on this (planning, shopping, prepping, cooking, cleaning, billing) and add that to your variable costs.

Either way, you’ll know exactly what it costs and exactly how much money you need to make when the service is complete.

First are examples of the variable costs:

Keep in mind, too, that different markets have different sensitivities.

From geographic to demographic its important to understand what people pay in your area for superb dining experiences.

Food Other perishables Spices, liquids Labor (If any) Fuel to travel to/from the client location

Some things to consider? The types of restaurants where your clients eat or are in their area; housing prices; wages; family sizes. These and your involvement in the community will help you understand how someone will respond when you quote your well developed price.

These are costs that vary depending on the type of service you are providing to the client. For example the cost of a steak for one client would be different than the cost of salmon for another. Some clients may require the help of another person, hence the labor costs.

But there’s another risk to pricing.

Then there are fixed costs. Here are some examples: Overhead (car, kitchen equipment, computers, software, phone, etc) USPCA membership Continuing Education Travel/Meetings Your fixed costs should be amortized over a period of time so you know, on a monthly basis, what those total costs are. You can then estimate the number of services you provide in a month to determine the fixed costs per service that can be automatically included. Remember, these are costs that DO NOT change as determined by the type of service you offer.

Combine all of this and you now know exactly what it will cost you to provide the service to your client. NOW…how much do YOU want to make from it. There is your profit. Let’s say your variable costs for a single service are $60. You’ve now looked at your fixed costs and determined that the average cost per service for those is $40. Your costs are $100. If you know what people are willing to pay in your market area (and believe me, it is usually more than you’re willing to quote), then you can determine if that amount less

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Associations are held strictly accountable to stop any kind of price fixing. The Sherman Anti-Trust Act among others have singled out associations for colluding to fix prices. While it seems innocent enough to ask on the website “what do you charge”, it lays the groundwork for people to begin to charge the same prices for the same services removing the competitive element from business.

Need to know more?

Let us know if a webinar teaching the art of managing your costs is something that you’d find helpful.

Write the association at info@uspca.com.

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THE RISKS OF HOME DELIVERY It wasn’t that long ago that the staple of many a local fund-raising event was a bake sale. People would make their favorite cake or pie at home and bring it to a central location to sell.

That led to more people making more of their favorites to give and, over time, sell to friends and family.

At face value, a pretty simple and innocent way of sharing foods with others.

The problem is, as often happens, others with fewer skills or understanding of the risks related to delivering foods take a simple concept and push it to its limits, often preparing at home and delivering in their cars, potentially hazardous foods. States have reacted to the growth beyond the original intent of sharing homemade non-hazardous foods by creating Cottage Food Laws for chefs to understand the limits on that model.

Food safety practices ensure that the facilities where someone prepares food is free of risk to the consumer whether it is a question of sanitation, risk of cross contamination or exposure to allergens.

Over the past year we have seen many postings in the “I Am a Personal Chef” Facebook group sponsored

by USPCA touting a host of seriously flawed delivery ideas floated by members and prospective members.

To date, Personal Chefs have fundamentally avoided the regulatory quagmire that other chefs face from catering to kitchens. However as people hold themselves out as Personal Chefs and offer these questionable products, it opens the doors for good Personal Chefs everywhere to discover the added cost and complexity of operating in a regulated marketplace.

How to best understand what to do? The easiest thing to do is to do what Personal Chefs have done from the start…cook for your clients in THEIR homes.

If you feel compelled to cook from your own home and deliver, then do it with the utmost safety in mind and know what you can and cannot do.

The chart shown on the next page, courtesy of the National Restaurant Association, provides a current overview of Cottage Food Laws around the country. Keep in mind, though, that legislators change laws like we change clothes: Frequently. So keep up with your own state legislation as well.

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Personal Chef | 29

Fun with the Philly Chapter 2015 - 2016 has been a very busy and exciting time for our Greater Philadelphia Chapter. We’ve welcomed some new members and we’ve been having lots of fun!

Back in the Fall of 2015 we gathered at Emily Scott’s home, around their beautiful backyard pizza oven and prepared some really yummy pies. Lori Dafilou taught us how to make mozzarella cheese and everyone pitched in with creative toppings, ranging from caramelized onions, potato and blue cheese, to roasted peppers, wild mushroom and smoked gouda.

In February, we cooked brunch for transplant patients and their families at the Gift of Life Family House. www.giftoflifefammilyhouse.org Among the offerings were Banana, Espresso, Chocolate Chip Muffins/ Zucchini Muffins/ Roasted Potato, Pepper and Caramelized Onion Fritatta/ Croissant, Sausage, Egg and Cheese bake/ Crisp Bacon/ Fresh Fruit/ and Yogurt Parfaits. Throughout the years, we’ve cooked many times at the GOL Family House, each time, being joined by new chapter members. It’s always a rewarding and satisfying experience using our cooking skills to provide nourishment and comfort for folks that are going through a very stressful and difficult time.

Emily’s husband, Randal is a brewmaster at Victory Brewing Co. in Parksburg, PA so, on February 21st Randal led our chapter on a private tour of the facility. We got to taste the malted grains, see hundreds of pounds of hops and walk through the entire process – literally grain to glass!

We ended the tour in their restaurant where we were able to sample an amazing variety of beers along with a delicious lunch. http://www.victorybeer.com/about/ Every year our chapter allots $25.00 per chapter member toward our annual chapter chef’s dinner. This year, we went to Nom Wah Tea Parlour http://nomwah.com/ Nom Wah was the very first Dim Sum restaurant to open in Manhattan in 1920. When they decided to open another location outside of New York, lucky for us, they picked Philadelphia! We feasted on dozens of different dumplings, steamed buns, rolls, and as a treat, the manager had the chef prepare a special dessert steamed bun filled with a delicious, delicate custard.

No matter what kind of activities our Philly chapter engages in we always have fun and the atmosphere is that of a family gathering – warm, comfortable and of course, delicious!

Potato, Red Pepper, Onion & Gouda Frittata

Pizza Dough

Adapted from the Kitchen

1 packet (1/4 oz) active dry yeast 2 1/4 cups spelt flour, divided, plus more for dusting ¾ cup bread flour 1 teaspoon sugar 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 tablespoon plus 1 tsp olive oil, divided

1 large onion, sliced thin 5 small red or gold potatoes (1 to 1 1/2 pounds), diced 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced into strips Olive oil Salt and pepper 2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped fine 10 large eggs, whisked until frothy 4 ounces Gouda, shredded Preheat the oven to 450°F. In a large baking dish, combine onions, potatoes, and peppers with enough olive oil to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven at 450 degrees F. for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all veggies are soft and browned.

Turn oven down to 400 degrees. Scatter the cubes of Gouda and rosemary evenly over the vegetables, then pour the eggs over top.

Shake and tilt the dish to make sure the eggs are evenly distributed.

Put the dish in the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, the eggs are completely set and beginning to pull away from the sides, and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the frittata cool for a few minutes before cutting into squares.

Serve this frittata with a simple green salad and a crusty piece of bread. Leftovers will keep for 5 days and are excellent eaten hot or cold!

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Adapted from Self Magazine

The Philly chapter gathers around a pizza oven.

Fill a bowl with hot water; let sit 2 minutes. Discard water. Combine yeast, 1 tbsp flour, sugar and 1/4 cup warm water; let stand until bubbly, 5 minutes. In another bowl, mix 2 1/2 cups flour and salt; make a well in center. Stir in yeast mixture, 1 tbsp oil and 3/4 cup hot water until dough is sticky and starts to come away from bowl sides. Coat hands with flour. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough until elastic, 8 minutes; form into a ball. In another bowl, add remaining 1 tsp oil; roll dough in oil to coat. Seal bowl with plastic wrap; set in a warm place until dough doubles in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Place dough on a floured surface; cut in half. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll each piece into a 10-inch circle. Pinch edges to form a crust. Heat oven to 500°. Place a pizza stone on bottom rack (or use an inverted baking sheet, not heated). Set each crust on a sheet of parchment paper. Top with desired toppings. Cook pies one at a time on stone or baking sheet until cheese melts and crust is golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Cut each into 6 slices.

How to Make Homemade Mozzarella Makes about 1 pound of mozzarella Adapted from New England Cheesemaking Supply Company What You Need Ingredients 1 1/4 cup water 1 1/2 teaspoon citric acid 1/4 rennet tablet or 1/4 teaspoon liquid rennet (Not Junket rennet, see note below) 1 gallon milk, whole or 2%, not ultra-pasteurized* 1 teaspoon kosher salt Equipment 5 quart or larger non-reactive pot Measuring cups and spoons Thermometer 8” knife, off-set spatula, or similar slim instrument for cutting the curds Slotted spoon Large strainer Rubber Gloves

The group enjoys lunch after a tour of Victory Brewing Company.

1. Prepare the Citric Acid and Rennet: Measure out 1 cup of water. Stir in the citric acid until dissolved. Measure out 1/4 cup of water in a separate bowl. Stir in the rennet until dissolved.

2. Warm the Milk: Pour the milk into the pot. Stir in the citric acid solution. Set the pot over medium-high heat and warm to 90°F, stirring gently.

3. Add the Rennet: Remove the pot from heat and gently stir in the rennet solution. Count to 30. Stop stirring, cover the pot, and let it sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.

4. Cut the Curds: After five minutes, the milk should have set, and it should look and feel like soft silken tofu. If it is still liquidy, re-cover the pot and let it sit for another five minutes. Once the milk has set, cut it into uniform curds: make several parallel cuts vertically through the curds and then several parallel cuts horizontally, creating a grid-like pattern. Make sure your knife reaches all the way to the bottom of the pan.

5. Cook the Curds: Place the pot back on the stove over medium heat and warm the curds to 105°F. Stir slowly as the curds warm, but try not to break them up too much. The curds will eventually clump together and separate more completely from the yellow whey.

6. Remove the Curds from Heat and Stir: Remove the pan from the heat and continue stirring gently for another 5 minutes.

7. Separate the Curds from the Whey: use a slotted spoon to scoop out the curds and place them in a large strainer. Allow the water to cool down to just below boiling (about 190°F).and nestle the strainer into the pot so the curds are submerged in the hot water. Let the curds sit for about five minutes. Wearing rubber gloves, fold the curds under the water and check their internal temperature. If it has not reached 135°F, let the curds sit for another few minutes until it does. Once the curds have reached 135°, lift them from the water (you can take one piece at a time).

8. Stretch and Shape the Mozzarella: Sprinkle the salt over the cheese and squish it with your fingers to incorporate. Using both hands, stretch and fold the curds repeatedly. It will start to tighten, become firm, and take on a glossy sheen. When this happens, you are ready to shape the mozzarella. Make one large ball, two smaller balls, or several bite-sized bocconcini. Try not to over-work the mozzarella.

9. Using and Storing Your Mozzarella: The mozzarella can be used immediately or kept refrigerated for a week. To refrigerate, place the mozzarella in a small container. Mix a teaspoon of salt with a cup of cool whey and pour this over the mozzarella. Cover and refrigerate.

Personal Chef | 31

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