Hello, my name is Ami, I started cooking and training in San Francisco fifteen years ago. Since then I cooked commercially and privately with emphasis on light / special diets (vegetarian, low fat/salt). As a personal chef I focus on cooking healthy recipes with fresh ingredients. My aim is to make eating healthy simple and enjoyable.
My Experience
I started cooking in San Francisco fifteen years ago. In the early '90's, organic food was popular and northern California was getting a lot of attention. Innovative bay area restaurants Greens and Chez Panisse were becoming known nationally for locally developed gourmet style. Helping in the San Francisco farmer's market and taking cooking courses introduced me to a whole new world of eating well -- and healthy.
A few years later, I got sick. After the traditional medical treatments were done, I explored the affects of lifestyle changes. Like most people, I heard that diet and exercise make a difference, but eating healthy did not come easy.
Fast forward a few years: I started cooking and eating better. I also started cooking for friends and saw the difference in many people close to me. Today the same is true with my family and friend.
So ... here we are! How can you eat healthier?
Healthy Menus
My personal chef service can help make your healthy eating effort easier and simpler. You can start with a popular diet and choose a few specific dishes. You pick ingredients, recipes and cooking styles. Then, give me some direction on quantities and packaging. Shopping, preparation, packing and cleaning are all done by me. You end up with a refrigerator nicely packed with complete meals! All the ingredients are bought fresh and cooked in your own kitchen.
A word about healthy menus. Diet, personal preferences, available ingredients and recipes have to end up as a final menu. Restaurants develop them to simplify your order. Menus are also organized to convey a theme, sometimes ethnic, sometimes regional. When cooking is personally ordered, a menu is designed as you like it. It changes with the seasons, following available ingredients and weather patterns. If you want interesting variations, a personal menu can easily change. This way, your diet stays exciting and nutritious.
Cooking Healthy
Cooking "healthy" comes from a combination of ingredients, recipes and styles. If your diet needs less fats or salt or carbohydrates, basic ingredients combined with cooking techniques will work. If you want different spicing to make an ingredient more interesting, that is what will be cooked. Using simple techniques of poaching and grilling, fat can be reduced from most dishes. Unlike frozen and preserved dishes, freshly cooked meals are completely unadulterated. As a personal chef, my goal it to make an effort of tailoring every meal to your wants and needs.