Personal cooking for clients is a special occasion, why? Because I am the one that will either make or break their in home dining experience. For one, I focus on comfort foods, Asian Style. From Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Filipino and American influences. I’ll shop for the best quality items for you. Of course, you will pay for what you get, if you tell me “Ron just get some low end beef for that stir fry.” Then I’ll do just that, I’ll get you what you pay me to purchase. Select grade instead of Choice or Prime beef, it’s up to you. However I always suggest I get you the best in products.
Here’s some vital information I think you need to know if you haven’t hired a personal cook before.
1. I do the shopping of ingredients (it is included in the total cost).
2. I’ll call you and or meet you and see if you or anyone I am cooking for have any allergies. If so, the cost of service may be a tad more if I need to rehash the entire menu.
3. I am insured in the event I break something in your home, and I will be limited to just the kitchen and service areas that I need to work with or in. And of course to use the restrooms or bathrooms.
4. I am registered to business in your city.
5. I have worked in professional kitchens and understand food safety and sanitation.
Here are some of the stuff you may need to know.
Things I Make From Scratch If Requested
– Rice Noodles, for dishes such as Chow Fun. It is made of rice flour and steamed into a nice glossy product that can be cut skinny or thick (wide), and used in stir fries.
– Black Bean Sauces, is made of fermented black beans, and infused with soy sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame or peanut oil, garlic, ginger and green onions and thickened with a corn starch slurry.
– Cream Sauces, made with heavy cream, butter, flour, salt and pepper. Many other cream sauces are derived from this sauce method, including Creamy Miso, Creamy Wine Sauce, Cheese Sauce etc.
– Beef Stock, for Asian soups and gravies, I’ll take beef ribs, and roast them, and then add in a vegetable broth and boil it down into a rich broth. And also made quickly for certain soups.
– Desserts, such as Almond Cookies, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, Fudge Brownies, Apple Turnovers, Bibinka (Filipino Coconut Cake), and a few others.
– Hollandaise, mayonnaise and other egg related sauces.
– All roasting.
READY MADE ITEMS I DO USE
For ease and quick kitchen operations, I will use many ready made items in both organic and non organic brands.
– Tomato sauces and pastes.
– Certain Asian Blended Sauces, hoisin, kim chi, chili sauces.
– Cream Cheese
– Wines and oils
– Some baked breads
– Canned tuna or sardines
– Bottled peanut butter, almond butter
– Pickled veggies
This is just to give you a brief example of how I roll in the Asian American Comfort Food In Home cooking services. Now about quality meats.
BEEF
If you are celebrating a nice romantic dinner, and want a beef steak, I do suggest you purchase Prime USDA beef steaks, it is well worth it. The fat content or marbleization is important in a tasty steak.
Black Angus Beef is an excellent product, however Wagyu or Kobe Beef that is raised in Japan, fed beer, and massaged, so there’s no muscle tension in the cattle lends a melt in your mouth product.
Flank- I’ll use flank steak for most beef stir fries, a heavy grained cut, but sliced thin across the grain makes it great for any beef stir fry, such as Mongolian Beef, Beef Broccoli, Beef Tomato etc.
Chuck Roast- I’ll use these guys and cube them for a Beef Curried Stew, or for soups, when simmered long it renders a tender product. I’ll use these in many Filipino Beef Soups.
Ox Tails- From the tail section of the cattle and very tough, great for braises, and oxtail soup.
Standing Rib Roast- Prime rib, bone on. I’ll use these for your dinner of 4-8. Herb Crusted and slow roasted to a medium rare product. If any diner wants it cooked more, I’ll sear it in a pan.
Sirloin- I’ll roast these cuts for you and slice them thin with any of my varied Asian American style sauces.
Porter House & T Bones- I’ll sear these bone on steaks on a pan grill or if you own a BBQ grill let’s go outside and grill them up.
Boneless New York- I’ll sear these on a pan for your breakfast steak and eggs.
Ground Beef- For meatballs, or hamburgers, or ….meatloaf. Oh I forgot, fillers for stuffed peppers and egg rolls.
PORK
The best breeds of hogs are the ones that have good fat content, don’t get me wrong, but eating a dried out pork chop really is not too satisfying.
Kurobuta Pork- It is a haute Japanese product, likened to Wagyu or Kobe Beef, or Jidori Chickens. If I can find these in your area, we do need to get these, much more expensive, however, if you are hiring a personal cook, go for the best.
Berkshire Pork- call these the same as Kurobuta Pork. We’ll get these too.
Duroc Pork- Is an all natural vegetable and grain fed hog, without any additives, this pork product is well marbled, juicy and tender, likened to the Berkshire or Kurobuta lines for the quality. Again you’ll pay more, and it is worth it.
POULTRY
Jidori Chicken– Japanese for “Chicken of The Earth” an all natural product, that may be hard to get where you live, in some cases, these birds are slaughtered on the same day that the chef cooks it. Fresh totally.
Tysons & Other Commercial Non Natural Brands- If all natural isn’t in your vocabulary Tyson Brand and other commercial brands have excellent chicken for the kinds of cooking a provide for you, such as stir fries, soups, and some roasting as well as BBQs.
Turkeys- I’ll do turkeys for basically one day or two, either Thanksgiving or Christmas, generally I’ll use major supermarket chain brands or ones supplied to them, and will look for all natural in your areas.
Duck- Duck is used in my arsenal for Chinese Roasting, or other requested dishes. For couples, I’ll purchase a breast, for 2-4 a whole duck generally from the freezer and thawed out.
FISH & SEAFOOD
Ahi Filets- I’ll use pre filleted Ahi steaks for your Asian Style Seared Ahi with various sauces. This is a reddish firm meat, great for sashimi (raw fish).
Ahi Bellies- little fat content, great for stir fries as well as to add into poke.
Mahi Mahi- Whitish, pinkish meat, semi firm, great for sauté, and stir fries, fish tacos.
Pomfret- Monchong in Hawaii, is caught by long line fishermen, it’s a moderately firm meat that is pinkish. Medium to full flavored, moderately oily. Good for broiling, baking, sauté.
Wahoo- Ono in Hawaii, firm meat, good for sandwiches, tacos, pastas.
Opa- Moonfish, this fish has a rich flavor, and firm texture making it great for any type of cooking, steaming, stir frying, poaching, raw. The fish can have 3 different colors but all cooks to a white color.
Dungeness Crab- A common crab product in most frozen food displays in supermarkets, when reheated correctly, the crab becomes a product to work with, such as stir fried crabs in black beans.
King Crab Legs- Frozen King Crab Legs are great for stir fries, or steamed with a variety of sauces I concoct.
Atlantic Blue Crab- Sweet Atlantic meat, steamed with simple sauces makes it excellent for a dinner with white wine.
Contact me: ronald.sambrano1@gmail.com or chefsambrano@gmail.com, ronsambrano@twitter, Linked In, Facebook.
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