Q:  Who benefits from using a Personal Chef?
A:  Everyone does! All types of people are able to enjoy freshly prepared cuisine tailored to their specific tastes and lifestyles and health needs. The Sage Dish serves a myriad of clients including busy single professionals, new parents, retirees, and families & couples who just don’t have the time, interest or skills to plan, shop for and prepare daily meals.

Q:  What are the advantages of using a personal chef?
A:  The beauty of having a personal chef is that you get to decide what you want me to cook. Selecting from my vast menu or providing your own favorite recipes, I’ll cook as sophisticated or homely as you prefer. Many clients enjoy mixing it up: ordering a combination of comfort food and more gourmet style meals.

Q:  I am lactose intolerant, hate cauliflower, green peppers and seitan, and love Mediterranean food.
A:  Again, one of the great benefits of having a personal chef is that all your meals are customized. I will find replacements for the ingredients you are allergic to, never use the ones you don’t like and make sure to cook the ingredients or styles you enjoy most.

Q:  Why do you prepare the food in my kitchen?
A:  Michigan law requires personal chefs to use their client’s kitchens unless the chef has access to a licensed commercial kitchen. We bring everything we need including our own pots, pans, and utensils and all the ingredients necessary to prepare your entrees. Your kitchen is left clean and the only evidence of our presence is the wonderful aromas left behind.

Q:  Do I have to be at home?
A:  No. Actually, most clients prefer to be at work during the cooking process, which actually benefits both parties. This allows the chef to operate safely and without distractions.

Q:  Do you only cook with organic ingredients? Do I have a choice about that?
A:  Like everything about a personal chef service, it’s your choice. But unless you tell me otherwise, I will always choose organic, locally produced and seasonal ingredients whenever possible. Due to the evidence that organic dairy, poultry and grass fed beef had superior health benefits to conventional products, I only use organic dairy, poultry & grass fed meat products. In some cases I will buy produce directly from the farmers markets, supporting local farmers who use sustainable agriculture practices.

Q.  I'm not sure I can afford your service.
A:  If you consider the amount of time you would spend menu planning, shopping, driving to and from the store, cooking and cleaning up, an average week’s worth of dinners take about 15 hours work! That is time you could free up to spend more time with your family or pursue other activities you currently just don’t have time for! In most cases, a personal chef service is less expensive than eating in a restaurant, which includes driving to and from the restaurant, paying a tip of 15% upwards, waiting to be served and coping with menu limitations.

Q.  How do I pay you for your services?
A:  To confirm your cook date, you would prepay for the service in advance. I will then leave you the grocery receipt on the actual cook date , which you would reimburse me for by the following cook date.

Q.  Do I have to commit to a certain number of cook dates?
A:  No, there is complete flexibility in how many times you have me cook for you. You may decide to commit to a specific schedule on an ongoing basis. Or you may only need the service temporarily, while you recover from an accident or illness, while you are busy with a new baby or other situations where you want a chef to cook for you to ensure you eat well during stressful times.

Q:  How can I reserve your services?
A:  Cook dates fill up quickly. Because of the personalized service, most personal chefs can only handle 4 or 5 clients a week. In order to schedule service, we arrange a personal assessement over the phone or in person to discuss service options and your food preferences. If you are happy to proceed, your reserve the cooking date by placing a deposit for the service.

Q:  Are you insured?
A:  Yes. The Sage Dish carries liability insurance and holds a current ServSafe Certificate.