The kids and parents all had a good time while the reporter was there. Then, the following week, the photographer from the New Castle News came by to take some more photos of the class. The reporter, Lugene Hudson, wrote the article while we were making Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies and the photographer, Erica Galvin took photos of the class as we were making a Strawberry Parfait so in case you happen to wonder about the pictures not exactly matching the recipe that the reporter is talking about, that is why.

The Little Chef’s Kids and Family Cooking Class meets every Wednesday through June 1, 2011  from 5 to 6 PM in the Community Room of the New Castle Community YMCA. Summer Classes will be posted as they become scheduled and we will resume a regular, weekly class schedule when the Fall Sessions begin at the YMCA at the beginning of the 2011 – 2012 school year.

Click Here for the full article: Dishing Out Good Stuff Chef’s Style

Tabbouleh is traditionally made with Bulgar and a lot of parsley. For this recipe, I substituted Quinoa for the Bulgar. Expo attendees who visited my booth throughout the day were also treated to a sample of this recipe. While I did also reduce the amount of parsley in the recipe since most Americans do not view parsley as a vegetable, but simply an herb or a garnish, even people who enjoy Tabbouleh made with a lot of this nutritious herb enjoyed my version of this dish.

Quinoa Tabbouleh

1 cup Quinoa

2 cups water

1 cucumber, washed, seeded and diced small

3 green onions, sliced thin

1 tomato, diced small

1 to 2 bunches of fresh parsley, roughly chopped

1/2 bunch of fresh mint, roughly chopped

2 lemons (you will use the zest and the juice)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Sea Salt, to taste (about 1/8 teaspoon)

Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the quinoa and dry roast it in the pan, stirring constantly, until the quinoa begins to brown slightly, it begins to “pop” and a nutty aroma begins to waft from the pan.

Add the two cups of water and bring to a boil. reduce to a simmer and place a lid on the pot. Once the quinoa has absorbed most of the water, remove from the heat. Remove the lid and let sit for about ten minutes. Fluff with a fork and place in a medium bowl (with enough room to add the remaining ingredients.)

You may also cook the quinoa in a rice steamer if you choose.

Add the cucumber, tomato, green onions, parsley and mint to the quinoa and mix together.

Zest the lemons into the bowl and then cut the lemons and juice them into the bowl.

Add the olive oil and the salt to taste and mix.

Enjoy with some pita bread or with lettuce!

Stores are closing early that day, the grocery stores have all stocked up (and pretty much sold out of) every kind of snack food, dip, mixers and party trays you can imagine, and the beer distributors have been selling adult refreshments faster than they can stock up.

To me, this Sunday is the annual day when you can watch a wide assortment of really expensive commercials, and regardless of if you tune in that day for a sporting event, or to wait for the commercials, it’s still a good excuse for a party. So, in the spirit of having a group of friends gather for fun, food and refreshments, here is a twist on a traditional finger food.

Buffalo Ravioli

36 each wonton wrapper
1 cup shredded nonfat mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup cottage cheese, lowfat
1/4 cup bleu cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup hot sauce
2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

In a small sauce pot, melt the butter and add the hot sauce. Mix to combine. Set aside to cool while preparing the ravioli.

In a small bowl, combine the 3 cheeses.

Working in batches, lay out about 12 wonton wrappers, covering the remaining with a damp cloth to keep moist.

Place about 1 teaspoon of cheese filling in center of each wonton. Carefully wet the edges of each wrapper with a bit of water.

Fold opposite corners of wonton together to form a triangle and gently press edges together to seal. Repeat with remaining wontons.

Heat a large, non stick skillet over medium high heat and add the EVOO. Once oil is hot, working in batches, cook the ravioli until golden brown on one side and flip to cook the other side. (Should take only a couple minutes.)

Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain.

Add cooked ravioli to a bowl and add a bit of hot sauce and stir to coat.

Serve in a small basket as you would chicken wings.

Yield: 36 ravioli, 6 per serving, 6 servings.

While this recipe isn’t too terribly difficult, if you are in a hurry, you can always use some ravioli from the freezer section of your local grocer. (Make sure you buy it first.) Just place them in boiling water till they float, remove them from the water, drain on a paper towel and then proceed to finish cooking them by frying them as above. Since wonton wrappers are usually less thick than the pasta most ravioli is made from, you probably don’t want to skip the boiling part if using a pre-made product.

Have fun and enjoy your parties!

Package includes a customized menu with an appetizer, soup or salad, entree with appropriate side items and dessert! The menu planning, shopping, groceries, cooking, service and clean up are all included! What better way to show that special someone you love them than by having their own chef come to your door? No waiting in lines, no worrying if you’ve had one two many glasses of champagne and no dealing with crowds on your special day! Everything will be taken care of for you! All you need to do is enjoy the food, and especially, enjoy each others company!

Since I cannot cook for more than one couple on the big day, this offer can be purchased as a gift certificate to give if the dinner has been arranged for a different date. Just give me a call at 724-498-0434 or send me an email and I’ll schedule your dinner and send you your certificate! Hurry! Special Price ends on February 14, 2011!

From dishwasher to head chef to soap maker to personal chef, Personal Chef Tim Hering has had a varied and eclectic career path. But no matter what he was doing, the kitchen and the opportunity to provide healthy, tasty food, always called to him.

Chef Tim Hering CPC

Why Tim decided to become a Personal Chef

Of his experience prior to becoming a personal chef, Tim says, “I’ve almost always worked in restaurants. I started as a dishwasher when I was 13 in order to make money to go to summer camp and quickly became one of the cooks in that restaurant. I managed a variety of pizza places while in college, and while I love pizza, I’ve always loved to cook a wide variety of dishes. I attended the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute in 1999 and since then I’ve worked with various chefs in the Pittsburgh area in positions such as Roundsman, Kitchen Manager, and as Head Chef. At one point I developed a new breakfast and dinner menu for a pizza place that wanted to add a dining room and menu to their existing pizza and subs selection.”

Regarding sales and marketing experiences, Tim said, “I worked in telemarketing and tried my hand at working retail at Circuit City. I quickly realized that continuing to try to sell someone something after they said “no” was not something I was good at! While being a personal chef also involves sales and marketing, the difference now is that I truly believe in the value of what I do and am more willing to tell people all about it. Magazines and small electronics just didn’t do it for me.”

Click here for a pdf of the full article!

Click here for more photos from the photo shoots for the article!

Are you searching for a special gift for that special someone on your gift list? Dinner Magician Personal Chef Service Gift Certificates are the perfect solution!

Available for every service offered as well as in dollar amounts from as low as $50, your friends and loved ones will truly appreciate this unique gift! Perfect for busy mom’s and dad’s as well as those who simply do not have time to cook a well balanced, healthy meal every day! And for those who enjoy entertaining, but want to spend more time with their guests and less time in the kitchen, a personal chef gift certificate can be used for any Small Dinner Party Service as well!

Certificates are also available for In Home Cooking Classes! Perfect for the foodie in your life! All menus are customized to the likes, dislikes and nutritional needs of the recipient so this is truly one of the most personalized gifts you can give this season! Dinner Magician Personal Chef Service Gift Certificates make great Corporate Gifts as well!

If you are interested in purchasing a Dinner Magician Personal Chef Service Gift Certificate, simply look around the website to see what service you may be interested in and give me a call at 724-498-0434 or send me an email at cheftim@dinnermagician.com! Don’t worry if you don’t see something you like! Since all services are fully customized, I can come up with the perfect Meal Solution for you!

Certificates can be mailed to you or mailed directly to the recipient. If you are in a hurry, a pdf file can be emailed to you so you can have it the same day you buy it! Recipients must reside within the Dinner Magician Personal Chef Service area so be sure to call and let me know where the recipient is located so we can be sure they are in the area. Dinner Magician serves all of Lawrence and Beaver Counties as well as part of Allegheny, Butler and Mercer Counties in PA and part of Columbiana, Trumbull and Mahoning Counties in Ohio.

Remember… Dinner Magician Personal Chef Service Gift Certificates are perfect gifts anytime and for any occasion so you don’t have to wait for the holidays!

Click here for a full list of services offered!

Your friends and family won’t know what you want unless you ask! Dinner Magician Personal Chef Service’s Bridal, Baby and Gift Registry is the perfect way to let them know what you really want this holiday season!

Once you sign up and your registry is posted, they can simply visit your personal gift registry page and choose one or more of the items you have listed! No need for them to spend hours at the mall searching for that perfect gift!

From Holiday Gifts to Weddings, New Babies to Birthday’s and any occasion in between, Dinner Magician Personal Chef Service is a Unique and Thoughtful gift!

If you are celebrating any occasion, and would like to request your very own chef as a gift for your bridal shower, baby shower or just to add to your wish list for that next birthday or holiday, just fill out the Dinner Magician Bridal, Baby and Gift Registry form and within a few days, you will have a webpage for your event tailored to your occasion that you can forward to everyone!

If the service you desire is not currently on the Dinner Magician Personal Chef Service Bridal, Baby and Gift Registry Form, feel free to call me at 724-498-0434 or email me at cheftim@dinnermagician.com to ask for it to be added to your registry. All Dinner Magician Personal Chef Services are eligible for gift certificates* and the Bridal, Baby and Gift Registry so don’t forget that special someone on your own gift giving list! (Gift Recipient must reside in the Dinner Magician service area and services are subject to availability.)

Click Here for more information and a sample registry listing!

Do you enjoy inviting your friends and family over but don’t enjoy spending all of your time in the kitchen while your guests are enjoying themselves without you?

Dinner Magician Personal Chef Service is the perfect solution for you! I’ll do all the legwork, the shopping the menu planning and the meal preparation and all you’ll have to do is sit back, relax and enjoy your party!

From an intimate dinner for 2 to a buffet party for 30, you can rest assured that everything will be taken care of for you and you and your guests will be treated to a fantastic meal! The best part is you won’t have to clean up the kitchen when it’s over! Once the meal is prepared, everything will be cleaned up and your kitchen will be left as it when when I arrived!

Now you can enjoy the company of your friends and family without worrying about when that timer in the kitchen is going to go off! Everything will be taken care of for you!

For more information on Dinner Magician Personal Chef Service’s Small Event Services, please click here!

Dinner Magician Personal Chef Service also provides Meal Preparation Services where the chef will come to your home before the big day, do all your grocery shopping, all of your prep and package and label your meal with instructions on how to finish it on the big day! You won’t have to let anyone know you didn’t cook the meal!

For more information on Dinner Magician Personal Chef Service’s Meal Preparation Services, please click here!

Dinner Magician offers In Home Cooking Classes! Whether you want a private lesson or you want to invite a group of people to your home for an Interactive Cooking Party or a Cooking Demonstration, I can come up with a menu, a lesson plan and will come to your home on the specified date ready to turn you into a chef! After your lesson, you will have a fantastic meal and will be ready to wow all your friends with what you have learned!

Classes can be structured in several ways… You can opt to have a cooking demonstration where I prepare all the food and you sit, with your relaxing beverage of choice, and watch. Kind of like bringing the cooking show from your tv into your kitchen! Depending upon the space you have, your group can be as large as 30 people, but you’d need to have a very large kitchen! This usually works best with no more than 12 to 16 people.

Or, you can invite up to 16 of your friends (depending on the space in your kitchen, this usually works best with no more than 12, and usually better with 8 to 10) and throw a party! Everyone will be placed into groups, the recipes will be divided up and I will be there to demonstrate each step in the process, but you and your friends will actually be the ones doing the cooking!

Give me a call at 724-498-0434 or send me an email to cheftim@dinnermagician.com to request a date!

Please click here for more information!

Aug 07, 2010 – Chef Tim Hering CPC, President of the Western PA Chapter of the United States Personal Chef Association (USPCA), has taken top honors for Personal Chef Chapter Of The Year for himself and the members of the chapter during the Excellence in Business Awards Ceremony at the 2010 USPCA national convention in Denver, CO July 30-Aug 1, 2010.

Throughout the US and Canada USPCA personal chefs in a given area assemble and create a local chapter to help other chefs with community service, awareness campaigns and overall business development.  Each of the 35+ chapters runs as a stand alone organization with guidance from the USPCA.  Web sites, trade shows, community education programs and volunteer duties are all examined and evaluated to determine which chapter truly went above and beyond during the year.  “The Western PA Chapter had outstanding efforts in every category” stated USPCA President Chef Gail Kenagy.

“Our chapter is like a well oiled machine with each member dedicated to industry excellence with a sincere desire to insure each chef is operating at peak proficiency”