Enter Mike Zytowski, of Mike's Cuisine, a Long Beach-based personal chef who has been solving people's dinner dilemmas in this town for the past six months.
"I usually cook for families and couples," said Zytowski, 33, whose mobile menu runs the gamut from gazpacho to short ribs to Penne Arrabbiata to "beer can" chicken. (The latter would be a chicken roasted atop a beer can, and is very popular in spite of its, um, somewhat tacky cooking method.)
But what exactly is a personal chef, anyway?
Well, it's someone who will shop for groceries, then come to your house and cook meals in your own kitchen, then yes! clean up, so all that you see when you get home from work is sparkling counter tops with a full dinner for four (or less, if you are so inclined).
A week's meal package for four costs $325 and includes 20 entrees with several side dishes.
And did we mention it's food prepared to your dietary specifications, such as low sodium, vegetarian or only foods that are yellow?
"I have people who have to eat low-sodium or are diabetic," said Zytowski, adding that he has any prospective clients fill out an incredibly detailed questionnaire about food preferences, dietary restrictions and allergies.
A sample question: "Are you sensitive to garlic, onions, mushrooms, bell pepper?"
Answering such questions honestly, Zytowski said, makes for a happy collaboration between personal chef and client. Because, like any cook, Zytowski hates to see anyone dissatisfied with his food.
And it's happened.
"Unfortunately, people won't tell you if they don't like something until it's too late," said Zytowski.
Communication problems aside, Zytowski still enjoys personal chefdom.
"I always liked to cook," said the Rossmoor native, who graduated from St. Anthony High School in the mid-'80s.
However, unlike most chefs, Zytowski wasn't brought up in a gourmand family.
"I can't honestly tell you where I got the desire to become a chef," he said, adding that his Irish mother mostly instilled in him an appreciation for cooked cabbage.
The lack of culinary encouragement is probably what led Zytowski on such disparate paths as reading film scripts for studios and clerking for the public defender's office and a personal injury attorney.
The latter two gigs were meant to coincide with law school at Pacific Coast University. But once he had the degree, Zytowski realized the bar was not for him.
So what to do?
"My wife said, why don't you go to cooking school?" said Zytowski.
And so he did, enrolling at a culinary arts program at the New School of Cooking in Culver City.
The intense course included a stint as prep cook at the now-defunct Citrus restaurant on Melrose Avenue.
"I made salads, crab cakes, shaved ahi for tuna carpaccio," Zytowski said.
The idea of becoming a personal chef was reinforced by an instructor at his cooking school, who had done such a gig on the side. So Zytowski consulted and later joined the Personal Chef Association.
Shortly after, Mike's Cuisine was born.
In deciding what menu to serve, Zytowski chose recipes he knew worked from cooking school. And, because of the nature of his business, he has come up with strategies to make his job easier. For instance, Zytowski never goes anywhere without his pressure cooker.
"It comes in handy when I'm making 20 meals in one afternoon," he said, adding that one meal will slow cook while he makes another.
Here's how such a cooking marathon works: Zytowski will go to a customer's house in the morning, then spend about six hours preparing meals for the whole week. He then packages up those meals meant for the rest of the week and leaves easy reheating directions.
However, that is not the only option. Zytowski also offers customers a two-day session, where he comes on Monday, cooks meals for Monday and Tuesday, then returns on Wednesday to cook for the rest of the week.
Zytowski actually prefers such an arrangement, which is less tiring, but acknowledges it is not practical for his more distant customers.
That's right, have pressure cooker, will travel. But if you're in, say, the Valley, it'll cost you an extra $25.
With all the traveling, one has to wonder whether Zytowski ever cooks for his own family?
Not too much, apparently, but when he does cook, it's food he prefers.
And what's that?
"I like doing primarily comfort food," he said.
The following recipes fall in that category, and are all on Zytowski's menu.
TAGLINE: Alessandra Djurklou can be reached at (562) 499-1252 or by e-mail at alessandra.djurkloupresstelegram.com
6 ounces high-quality chocolate, bittersweet, chopped
3/4 cup butter (12 tablespoons)
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour, sifted
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Melt chocolate and butter together using a rubber spatula in a double boiler or in a stainless steel bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water. Stir frequently to avoid scorching.
Stir sugar into chocolate mixture until just blended. Add eggs, incorporating one at a time, then add vanilla.
Stir in flour until just combined. Do not over mix. Add chopped nuts, if using.
Spread onto a buttered 13-by-9-inch baking pan.
Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center has crumbs attached.
Cool in pan, then cut into squares.
Makes 10 to 16 servings.
Vegetable oil for frying
5-6 pounds English-style beef short ribs (not flanken)
Salt, freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Flour (all-purpose is fine)
5-10 large shallots, peeled
8-10 garlic cloves, peeled
3 carrots, peeled, trimmed and cut into large chunks
2 stalks celery, washed well, trimmed and rough-chopped
1 medium leek, cleaned well, and chopped (white part only)
Bouquet garni (made with 2 bay leaves, parsley, thyme, rosemary
sprigs, tied with kitchen string)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups dry red wine
3 quarts unsalted beef stock, preferably homemade, or low-sodium
chicken stock or broth, or a combination of the two (see note)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place oil in a large Dutch-oven or casserole over medium-high heat. Generously season short ribs with salt and pepper and lightly dredge in flour. Brown short ribs, in batches, so as not to overcrowd pot, about 3-5 minutes per side. Set aside each set of ribs after browning on a plate.
Remove all but 1-2 tablespoons oil from pot, lower heat to medium, and add all vegetables and bouquet garni. Cook until vegetables begin to caramelize, about 5 minutes, and then add tomato paste, stirring well to combine.
Return ribs to pot, add wine and cook until wine is reduced by about one-half. Add stock and bring to a boil. Cover, slide into oven and braise 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until very tender.
Remove ribs and place on a serving platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Remove bouquet garni and discard. Return pot to stove top and reduce liquid over high heat until reduced to desired consistency, or until thickened slightly. If desired, strain liquid through a fine mesh strainer and discard solids. Pour sauce over ribs and serve with mashed potatoes.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Note on stock:
In a perfect world, everyone would have homemade beef or chicken stock on hand. The problem is, who has the time or inclination to regularly make stock from scratch? Canned broth from the grocery store is an alternative, and often a good one. Just be cautious of the amount of salt you use in the rest of the dish. Low-sodium broth, a better option, is often hard to come by.
A better alternative to regular canned broth (and a huge step up from plain water) is a doctored canned broth. Just take some canned broth and simmer some onion, a carrot, celery, a bay leaf and some peppercorns in it for as long as you can after first browning the vegetables in a little oil. This will give your broth some added body and richness and make your sauces that much better.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 chicken (3-4 pounds), cut up
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 cup chopped onions
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped fine
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 large bay leaves
1/2 cup chopped green onion
Cayenne to taste
1-2 tablespoons Creole Seasoning mix (recipe follows, or use
packaged mix)
2-3 cups vegetables of your choice (green beans, squash, cabbage,
bok choy, zucchini, spinach or whatever looks good), chopped
Chopped fresh basil to taste
3 quarts (more if necessary) chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 cups noodles of your choice
1/4 cup parsley leaves, for garnish
Heat oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces, in batches if necessary, and salt and pepper, and saute until well-browned, about 5-10 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
Lower heat to medium and add onion, celery, carrot, garlic, ginger, bay leaves, green onion, cayenne and seasoning mix. Saute until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
Shred chicken from bones and return to pot. Add vegetables and chopped basil. Add chicken stock. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes, then add noodles and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes more.
Serve in large bowls with crusty bread. Garnish with parsley. Cold symptoms will miraculously disappear!
Makes 8 servings.
2 tablespoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard
3/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Combine all ingredients, mix well. Store in an airtight container.
Note on Creole Seasoning mix: The best thing about seasoning mixes is that they can be uniquely your own. Play around with them and try to pair them as closely as you can to the dish you're making. Plus, when you make them yourself, you can control the amount of salt in them, unlike the mass produced spice blends so prevalent in the grocery stores.