10 Oct Chef Mark in USA Today
The AP published an article today on the growing popularity of personal chefs — starring our very own Chef Mark. Congratulations!
It appears in the business section of USA Today, but you can see the AP version here:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g4aOK0HuId1Q6oWOGzIM5h9Rtf_QD8S5SKFG1
Excerpt below:
Mark Tafoya, who owns the New York-based ReMARKable Palate personal chef service, cooks for regular weekly clients and also offers one-time meal services, such as romantic dinners for two.
Tafoya prepares the meals in the client’s home, with the dishes ranging from chicken enchiladas with a green tomatillo sauce to crab lasagna with bechamel sauce.
For regular clients, the week’s meals are discussed in advance and are created in accordance with their dietary needs and personal tastes. Organic, vegetarian and kosher options are available and nothing is repeated for six months unless requested, he said.
Tafoya said that by cooking for the same clients over a long time, he’s able to develop a kind of intimacy and customization that restaurant chefs just aren’t able to.
“I think that when I do hit it off and when they like my food and I understand them and what they like to eat, I can suggest new dishes that they might not have tried before, but I think might be right for them,” Tafoya said.
Tafoya said he was drawn to the profession after careers in acting and teaching. He saw it as a way to turn his love of food and cooking into a viable business.
Along with the ReMARKable Palate, Tafoya also is the co-owner and executive chef of The Gilded Fork, an online media company featuring recipes, podcasts and articles and blogs about food.
Tafoya said his typical weekly clients are incredibly busy, career-oriented people who don’t have time to cook, but still appreciate a quality meal.
gilded fork, food, food writing, personal chefs, Chef Mark Tafoya