Personal Chef Day

What the day is

Personal Chef Day is observed on February 26. The role is frequently confused with that of a private chef, and the two are different jobs.

Origin and background

A private chef works for one household, usually lives in or nearby, and cooks meals to order. A personal chef serves several clients, visits each perhaps once a week or fortnight, and cooks a batch of meals in that client's own kitchen to be refrigerated or frozen and reheated across the following days. The second model emerged as a recognized occupation in the United States in the 1990s, with trade associations forming to certify it, and it is closer to a small catering business than to restaurant work.

That difference shapes the skill set. Restaurant cooking optimizes for a dish served within seconds of being finished. A personal chef is cooking food that must survive chilling, storage and reheating, which rules out a great deal and rewards knowing what holds. Braises, stews and anything with sauce improve or hold steady; fried coatings, delicate fish and anything depending on contrast between hot and cold do not. Pasta is cooked short so it finishes on reheating. Food is cooled fast and portioned in shallow containers, because slow cooling through the temperature range where bacteria multiply is the main safety risk in the whole operation.

The clientele is less exclusive than the title suggests. A substantial share of the work involves medical need rather than luxury, cooking for people managing diabetes, allergies, kidney disease or recovery from surgery, or for older clients who can no longer cook safely.

The same principles are what make batch cooking work at home, which is the day's practical use for most people.

How to take part

• Cook one batch of something that reheats well and portion it for the week.
• Cool food quickly in shallow containers rather than leaving a hot pot out.
• Undercook pasta and vegetables slightly if they will be reheated.
• Label everything with the date, which is where home batch cooking fails.
• Consider it for an elderly relative, which is a common and undersold use.