Nashville personal chefs discuss their services
Who we talked to
Julie Cicero, chef/owner
TasteBuds
Nashville
615-714-6409
chefjulie.net
Robyn Barber, chef/owner
Barber's Home Bistro
Nashville
615-585-1258
chefrobyn.com
Larry Price, personal chef
Supper Wizard LLC
Nashville
615-383-1383
supperwizard.com
What services do you offer?
Julie Cicero: "I offer weekly, bi-weekly or monthly services. I shop, cook, package and label the dishes with cooking instructions and then deliver them."
Robyn Barber: "I offer a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly service where I come in and spend a day cooking about a week's worth of dinners and then package it and freeze it with heating instructions on the labels."
Larry Price: "We go in to the client's home and prepare meals that will cover the family for two weeks to a month depending on their lifestyle. I also offer cooking classes, private parties and interactive dinner parties."
How do you charge for your services, and what's the cost?
Cicero: "My standard service starts at $275 plus the cost of groceries. I used to be all-inclusive but the price of food has gone up so much I have to charge for it."
Barber: "The 20-meal package is $395 and that includes planning, cooking, containers and groceries for five meals with four servings each."
Price: "I charge $375 for five meals of four servings each. It's $75 for each additional family member or individual who is eating. Our average is about $475."
Do you have a dish you prepare that's the most popular with your clients?
Cicero: "I do a salmon with a crushed pecan topping and a balsamic chicken with mushrooms."
Barber: "Eggplant Parmesan and turkey corn chowder seem to be real favorites."
Price: "We do an aromatic yellow rice that's very popular and an island pork tenderloin, which is sweet and has a bit of a bite to it."
Where do you prepare the meals?
Cicero: "I cook them in my commercial kitchen."
Barber: "I cook everything in the client's home."
Price: "Everything is done in the client's home."
Will you cater to people's special diets?
Cicero: "Yes, I have clients who need gluten-free, low-sodium or yeast-free diets."
Barber: "Yes. I had a client once that had a thyroid condition. She got a cookbook from her doctor and I cooked her meals from that."
Price: "Yes. We have a client who is gluten-free so we've learned to do gluten-free baking."
What's one spice or ingredient you couldn't live without and why?
Cicero: "Probably garlic. It just rounds out everything so well."
Barber: "It would be have to be canned diced tomatoes. They're an emergency item that will help fix everything."
Price: "I would say cumin. It's such a wonderful spice to add to a variety of cuisines."


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