Food News and Tips
Tryon NC Personal Chef - Chef Patricia
San Marzano Tomatoes and Marinara Recipe
As your Chef, my #1 priority is to use the finest ingredients I can find to craft your meals. A true pantry staple that is woven into so many of my recipes are San Marzano Tomatoes! One of the most distinctive traits is the rich sweet taste that other canned tomatoes...
Fall in the Air Makes You Think About Soups!
Having worked in several commercial kitchens, it always surprised me that most Chefs hate to make soup so they always dumped that responsibility onto me! Not only did I hone my knife skills, but my love for creating soups blossomed into over 40 recipes and continues...
Spotlight Local Business Update
It’s been a long time coming, but Tryon is finally going to have an authentic seafood restaurant! Not surprisingly, the genius behind this new restaurant is none other than Katie and Don of Katie D’s NY Bagels and Deli . Having made that business a success, they...
Chef tools, trends and products you may not know about!
I’m constantly on the hunt for new products, tools and trends and wanted to share my latest finds with you, so check them out… Flavor Boosters: Furikake Rice Seasoning - from Japan, Furikake is frequently used to top rice, fish, and vegetables. It's...
Take the Time to Grate Your Cheese!
One of the many benefits of having your very own personal chef is knowing that I not only try to create a balanced dish but take great care into buying quality ingredients. With that said, keeping up on what is happening with the food supply chain and food sourcing...
Velvet Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients: 1-2 heads cauliflower depending on the size leaves trimmed 8 tablespoons butter, cut into 8 pieces maybe more 3-4 potatoes peeled and quartered, I like Yukon gold 2-3 shallots, roughly chopped *can use 1 medium onion or 1 leek sliced and rinsed ½ cup...
How to Cook Spaghetti Squash
Spaghetti Squash is an integral part of several of my menus and I have been asked repeatedly what’s the best way to cook it. Truthfully, it’s taken me some time to master the process as I used to cook the squash way to long and it became watery and mushy. Once you’ve...
Mushrooms and All Their Benefits plus Sautéed Mushrooms Recipe Tips
For most vegetarians, mushrooms are a staple. Not only do they mimic the texture of meat, but they contain so many health benefits.In addition to their health benefits they are amazingly versatile and insanely flavorful! As you likely know, fresh mushrooms have a...
Start the New Year Off with Yoga
My blogs are always centered around food but there is a definite connection to wellness when you combine the right diet with the right exercise! That word exercise means different things to different people but Yoga is one of the most universal ways to stay in shape...
Chef Tips for a Perfect Holiday Celebration
With a little planning, this might be your best holiday yet! Tip #1: For a successful celebration “Keep it Simple.”Here is a formula that works for appetizers: 2-2-2. I recommend six items: two store bought, two semi-homemade and two homemade. That lets you take time...
My Secret for Cooking Shrimp!
Due to where we live, I’m limited in getting good quality seafood consistently, but I can get beautiful wild caught North Carolina shrimp. The good news is shrimp and related prawns have so much versatility. They are the perfect candidate for entrees, salads, tacos,...
Food Adventures and the Pasta Station!
Like most Chef’s, I rarely eat my own food, so I have to have places that not only inspire me but make me happy to enjoy a meal I didn’t make! For those of you that haven’t visited my Food Adventures page, check it out!But this Newsletter is about a treasure I found...
Lemon Parmesan Herb Breadcrumbs Recipe and Some Recommended Chef Patty Products!
Part of my service is to create a total experience for my clients. In doing so, I am constantly on the lookout for items that have loads of flavor and pair up with what I am featuring! These items may be store bought, semi-homemade or homemade. I spend lots of time...
Spotlight Local Business Update
Back in February, my newsletter featured small business owners both locally and nationally. Since that time there have been some exciting changes locally that I wanted to share with you. We are so fortunate to have theses talented people right here in our community so...
Benefits of Cold Pressed Juice
Over the past several years, I have been on a juice regimen which has been instrumental in reducing my inflammation. Because of my success, many of my clients have implemented juicing in conjunction with cleaning up their diets and have made great strides in their...
How to Make the Most out of Fresh Produce and Herbs and Carrot Top Pesto
Summer is a great time to really clean out your refrigerator. With the farmers markets and fruit stands in full swing eating fresh is a breeze but it can seem like a lot of work! Here are a few tips to make your food prep really work for you! Throw out any old produce...
Chef’s Tips for Choosing the Best Knives!
Ask any professional chef if they were stranded on a desert island and could only bring one tool and they’d would probably pick a chef’s knife. I would have to agree but beyond the chef’s knife, I have just 3 other knives that complete my collection. So many...
Salsa Recipe and Green Tomatoes
Living here in the South, fried green tomatoes are the gold standard for chefs, but there are so many other ways to use them. I’m a big fan and have developed lots of recipes where I substituted green tomatoes from my favorite red tomato recipes! I love this green...
Chef Patricia
Feel free to contact Patricia via phone or via email.