Patti Anastasia launched Anastasia’s Table, a personal cheffing service in southern New Hampshire and the Merrimack Valley, (an area extending from the White Mountains to the Atlantic ocean), in 2003. Although Patti does not live with food allergies herself, she shows a special compassion and awareness for those that do. For individuals fortunate enough to be included in her schedule, Chef Patti brings the passion of a true foodie and the thoughtful expertise of a committed professional. We caught up with her on a recent afternoon to discuss her role as personal chef for people with special dietary requirements.
What do you like best about cheffing for people with allergies?
I love the challenge of making delicious food with limited ingredients.
What percent of your business is dedicated to allergy cheffing?
30%.
What is the average longevity of your clients?
Two years!
What is your favorite meal to prepare?
That’s really hard! I’m not a fussy food fan and I’m not much for baking. But what I do love are sautés — things made on the stovetop. I enjoy cooking things that allow for a lot of creativity, where the recipe is the guideline and doesn’t require precision. Both sautés and sauces meet this requirement!
Do you convert conventional recipes for allergy limitations?
All the time! Except for baking, I take recipes and techniques that are familiar and make them work for my clients’ needs. Baking requires a more exacting approach. I use existing recipes that accommodate gluten-free, soy free, corn free or dairy free needs when baking for my clients.
Do you do the grocery shopping for all of your clients?
Yes. Personal grocery shopping for my meal preparation is one of the key benefits of my services.
When shopping for an allergy-sensitive client, do you find that you have to go to multiple stores for supplies?
It depends. I can buy almost anything I need in my regular grocery, with the exception of gluten-free tortillas and some of the less common organic vegetables, such as beets.
Do you have any label-reading tips for our readers?
Because all-natural, whole food products tend to be the cleanest of additives, this is what I shop for when cooking for my special-diet clients. So there is very little label reading involved. For my special diet clients I cook with fresh organic meats and vegetables and canned tomatoes.
I’ve noticed, though, that labels are improving. I would recommend looking out for corn and soy — they’re in everything. And ingredients such as “modified food starch” can mask wheat, corn or soy. So I don’t buy anything with that in it.
How do you address cross-contamination?
All of the pots, pans and utensils in my chef kit are stainless steel. Everything goes through the dishwasher, which is sufficient. For baking, I always use either the client’s pans or disposable baking pans.
During the cooking process I will use one spoon for each spice. I follow the same procedure for flours, etc.
If a client prefers, I will use only their equipment.
Do you use any special software in your business?
Since I opened for business, I’ve used MasterCook software for recipe management. You enter the recipe and it calculates everything from nutritional information to menu plans and shopping lists.
Do you have any suggestions for questions someone might ask when shopping around for a personal chef service?
Look for someone who is Food Safety Training certified and holds current business licenses for their local area. They should also carry liability insurance.
For any special diet, you want to ask questions that will make you feel comfortable with their knowledge of your needs.
• Is this chef aware of cross-contamination issues?
• Do they know how to substitute ingredients?
• Are they using special diet cookbooks?
• Do you sense that they’re committed to doing the extra work and understand the consequences of not doing the research and letting bad ingredients slip into the food?
What do you recommend for our Chef-WannaBe’s?
Join a national association for personal chefs. There are currently three to choose from. Cheffing is a very solo profession and the association can provide online networking and ongoing training materials.
To learn more about Chef Patti and Anastasia’s Table, visit anastasiastable.com or email her at ChefPatti[at]anastasiastable.com.
