Chef Chuck For Your Next Party

My husband turned 40 a few months back.  Well, last November to be exact.  We couldn’t decide how to celebrate – trip, party, nice dinner?  In the end, we invited a few friends over and hired Chef Chuck to cook for the gathering.

While Chuck has toured with all sorts of musical groups, he is most well known for being Sheryl Crow’s personal chef and releasing a cookbook with her last spring called  If It Makes You Healthy.  And, just like the Oprah/Rosie cookbook, this one is also focused on healthy cooking. 

Chef Chuck and Sheryl Crow on the Today Show. (Image courtesy of Style Shout Out blog.)

I was very impressed by Chuck’s professionalism, the amount of flavorful food he prepared and the ease of having him in my kitchen on this special day.

How this all worked:

• Chuck and his wife met with me at my house to plan the menu and see the set up of our home.  They helped me rent tables and linens — my table seats 8 and I needed 12.
• I chose a healthy Southwestern menu.  He was even kind enough to make homemade margaritas for all!
• Three appetizers were selected and they were delicious.  I’m the kind of girl who likes appetizers better than dessert, and these were fab.
• The corn soup was great, but the strip steak with a tomato butter sauce stole the show.
• We finished with a cupcakes from Cupcake Collection and good bottle of bourbon.

Tuna Nachos

Chicken Quesadillas

These are a few of my favorite things.

The cost was no more than dinner at a great restaurant (I’m thinking Watermark, City House and the like with drinks, appetizers, soup, entree and dessert.) And, the upside, in addition to eating, drinking and laughing until after midnight, was that we didn’t have to call a cab or hire a sitter. We enjoyed being in our home, our kitchen was clean and our refrigerator full of leftovers.

Some of the seasoned popcorn, which Chuck prepared before he came and used to garnish the grilled corn soup.

Our table, which I decorated, before we sat down to dinner.

This picture lets you see that I actually placed the table in our front room, or living room. Don't be afraid to move your furniture around for a special event.

Chuck in my kitchen

The tomato butter that we all wanted to bathe in. I still dream of this. Served over the steak.

Surf and turf, Southwestern style. The petite NY strip steak is set over a bed of green beans. The bass is encrusted with blue corn tortilla chips and served over a black bean corn salad. Delicious. I know this photo doesn't do Chuck's food justice, but I'd had a few margaritas when I took it!

So, for your next special event, is Sheryl’s chef good enough for you?  I bet he is! 

To contact Chuck, or find out more about him, click here: http://chefchuck.com/

Having the party at home allowed our kids to come join us to sing "Happy Birthday" and have dessert. I think my husband is the most special man on earth and I thank God daily that I am married to him.