During this unprecendented period in history, as a personal chef during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, I am able to continue to operate as an essential service, and have had to modify many of my procedures. I have been certified in Food Safety Management for many years, but during this Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, I am taking every step possible to keep my clients, in addition to myself, safe and healthy. I adhere to what the CDC suggests, and I do extra research, erring on the side of caution. My personal chef service has been a no-contact service throughout this pandemic; however, in some situations I am still able to cook in my client’s homes. This situation changes daily, and I am staying informed and making the safest decisions possible.
I am so honored and humbled by my clients continuing to trust me as their personal chef during this Covid-19 crisis. I will do everything in my power to make your stay-at-home life as enjoyable as possible through good food.
Some of my new procedures include:
- Pantry items are purchased days ahead of time to reduce the risk of contamination. (This includes items such as boxed broth, boxed or canned tomatoes, rice, beans, coconut milk, condiments, etc.)
- I wear a mask anytime I am in public; I practice social distancing in all areas of my life. I wear gloves at the grocery store, and I remove them before I leave. I wash my hands constantly, and change my gloves often during cooking.
- During grocery shopping, I practice social distancing (I am getting very good at using my cart as a shield!) and I do not shop at grocery stores or markets unless they have a procedure to maintain social distancing.
- The cooking area is sterlized before and after cooking.
- When I am in your home, I MUST maintain social distancing. There can be absolutely NO people or pets in the area where I am working. I would love to visit with you after my work is done, and if we can manage it, we can stand outside at least 6 feet away from each other! If it’s not possible to maintain that distance, we can make plans to talk on the phone. It is so important to me to maintain the wonderful relationships that I have been so lucky to have with so many incredible people through the years.
- When I am in your home, I touch nothing without clean, sterile gloves on. I disenfect every surface before I start, and after I’m done. I bring my own, in case you have cleaners that don’t kill germs. This is not the time for nice smelling, gentle cleaning products. You need germ killing cleaning agents. (I will bring them with me, just in case.)
- Every situation is different. There is not a one-size-fits-all answer for how to deal with this. But I’m resourceful, and with your help and patience, we will come up with a plan that works for you. That’s the beauty of having your own personal chef; I will make it work for you, and I promise to make it easy for you to eat well during this stay-at-home period, and to make it as enjoyable as I can!