Dinner Made Simple

Insite Magazine—January 2006

The Defeat of the Grocery Store by Brian Paul Scipione

With the rise of restaurant and grocery store prices, it's not a surprise that many people are finding this to be an affordable way to feed the whole family.  In this, though Austin is behind the times, local chef, Toni Scott points out that Atlanta boasts over 300 personal chefs.  It was actually an episode of Recipe for Success (Food Network) about an Atlanta chef that inspired Scott the get into the field herself.  I needed something that I could work at, and be fulfilled at, but also have some time with my kids.  Personal cheffing is perfect for that because I start working after they go to school and I’m done when it’s time to pick them up. 

Scott cooks in her clients homes four days a week and uses a fifth day for administration.  She draws her inspiration from food T.V., her clients’ needs, and of all places, the grocery store.  That labyrinth of numbers, labels, and packaging that confounds your average person to the point of despair, Scott bravely enters every day in the stead of her 12 weekly customers.  “I only buy one client’s groceries at a time, on the day that I’m cooking to ensure its freshness.  It wouldn’t be personal cheffing if it wasn’t customized” An average week’s fare for one client may include red beans and rice with cabbage and sausage served with round steak smothered with gravy, Thai shrimp curry, smoked chicken enchiladas, or swordfish with a balsamic reduction.  These menus are the results of extensive interviews Scott conducts with her clients.