Rob's Home Cooking

I am reposting this. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions

A quick recipe for today

Red Pepper Hummus - no oil
1 15 ounce can chickpeas or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (keep either 1/2 cup of liquid from cooking the chickpeas or the liquid in the can)
1 red pepper roasted or 1 12 oz jar
1 clove garlic chopped
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup of water or another 1/4 cup of cooking liquid from cooking chickpeas.

In a blender add chickpeas, tahini, red pepper, garlic, salt and lemon juice. Add some of the liquid. Blend until smooth, keep adding liquid until smooth and consistency is where you want it.

"The litmus test for comfort food? It should be something that makes us smile, sigh with contentment and remember a moment, person or place with joy. Guilt and shame shouldn’t come into play."

The reason why comfort food is no longer comforting When did comfort food stop comforting us? When did restaurant chains and supermarkets and food manufacturers co-opt comfort to sell us food that is often high in calories but leaves us empty nutritionally and emotionally?

Enchiladas, Black bean and corn soup, Chipotle Quesa, fresh made salsa and White corn chips. Clients were happy

The most common questions I get asked are what do you cook, isn't a personal chef expensive, and who needs this?

For the first, I will cook just about anything the client wants. There are various ways we set up a menu. If the client has a specific idea about a meal, like say Chicken Parmesan, then that is what I will do. If instead, the client says, " We are thinking Italian and maybe chicken, then I might suggest the chicken parmesan. I believe communication is vital between myself and the client.

On the second question, prices vary depending on the menu and the number of people being cooked for. The minimum price is $65, close to the same cost of 2 people going out to a midrange restaurant. This includes the cost of the food, doing the shopping, the cooking and cleanup. Again the price can go up based on the ingredients, a porterhouse dinner is more expansive than a sirloin meal. Cooking for 4 or 6 people costs more than cooking for 2. Now if multiple meals are prepared for the client, to be refrigerated and/or frozen, each additional meal is only a small addon cost, based again on amount and ingredients.

The third answer of who needs this, personally I think everyone can enjoy a home cooked meal. A few specific groups that can benefit are busy professional families who are tired of frozen meals and takeout. Also, especially for multiple meal preparation, the elderly, can see great benefit.

These are the top 3 questions I get. Feel free to ask, either in the post or through a private message.

Good Eating all

Tonight's Indian Veggie feast: Pakora, Saag Paneer, Malai Kofta, rice, Naan, and a hot mango chutney.