Jet-Chef.com Spotlight Member: Meals on Heels

Jet-Chef.com shines their spotlight on one of its members: Meals on Heels!



Meals on Heels is the Premier Personal Chef Delivery Service on the Main Line in Philadelphia Pennsylvania!

Meals on Heels caters to the needs of those on ‘special diets’. Whether you are on Weight Watchers or another commercial diet, are a Vegetarian/Vegan, or have a dietary issue such as Celiac Disease, or Diabetes, Meals on Heels will make the food that’s right for you.

With Meals on Heels as your personal chef:

· They will create an individualized menu based on your personal tastes and needs

· You choose the entrées you would like to have delivered to you

· All entrées are packaged in microwave safe containers and labeled with all of the nutrition information and heating instructions

· Everything is prepared right in their own commercial kitchen

· Entrées will be delivered conveniently right to your home or office!

Catering menus and options are also available including fantastic hors d'oeuvres, handcrafted soups, pasta, sandwiches, wraps, specialty salads, and so much more. Meals on Heels would be happy to honor any special requests for items that you do not already see on their catering menu.

The chef behind Meals on Heels, Lila Jai, grew up in her grandmother’s kitchen and was immersed at a very young age in the art of cooking. She apprenticed with her uncle, who was a locally renowned chef and owned a successful gourmet catering business. She took her love and passion for cooking with her when she went off to college. Even though she was studying to become a behavioral therapist, she fantasized about attending culinary school and would cook for her whole floor of dorm-mates. She eventually combined her love of cooking with her humanitarian spirit and began volunteering in the kitchen at Project Home, an organization in Philadelphia that assists individuals suffering from homelessness. After 5 years of experience working with special needs children as a Behavioral Therapist, Lila decided to resign from the human services field and once again began to dream about what it might be like to become a chef.

Chef Lila Jai is now working on her Master’s Degree in Holistic Nutrition and is attending classes at the Restaurant School. She is finally manifesting her dreams into a passionate culinary reality and has started her own personal chef business. Her creative and health conscious meals are enjoyed by many, especially catering to the needs of clients on special diets (including Weight Watchers, Specific Carbohydrate Diet, and those with Celiac Disease).

Contact Meals on Heels today for your Personal Chef and Catering Services in the Philadelphia area!



Visit Jet-Chef.com to find a caterer, personal chef or restaurant for your special meal or occasion!

Are you a caterer, personal chef or restaurant and want to be part of the Jet-Chef.com success? Log on to Jet-Chef.com and start your listing today with a FREE, NO OBLIGATION 6-month membership! Contact us via email at info@imaiusa.com or call us toll-free at 1-877-774-1255.

Flavor Trends for 2009: Persimmon

I am always fascinated with food trends, and love to experiment with new foods, new flavors. I find that I get "stuck" with a set of foods and flavors that are familiar, easy, and comfortable. I recently read that Mintel, the consumer, media and market research company, tallied the top food and flavor trends for 2009. They list the top seven trends which include the following:

1. Persimmon
2. Starfruit
3. Lavender
4. Cactus
5. Chimichurri
6. Peri-Peri
7. Masala

Clearly, we are looking forward to exciting, dynamic, exotic flavors! After seeing this list, I immediately went online to find recipes and references to help me understand these flavors and foods, and am so excited to share that information with you! I will spotlight each trend, with a recipe or two that I recommend. Please feel free to bookmark and/or follow this blog so you can get a great snapshot of all seven in the weeks to come. I also welcome any recipes for persimmon that you would love to share.


#1 Persimmon: What is a persimmon, what does it taste like?

Persimmons are generally light yellow-orange to dark red-orange in color and vary in shape from round, to acorn-shaped to a more squat pumpkin shape. The taste of the persimmon is typically compared to that of an overly sweet apricot with a smooth, slippery texture.


There are two most common kinds of persimmons: The Fuyu, the kind you can eat right away, and the Hachiya, the kind you cannot! Persimmons not only have an exceptional flavor, they are also rich with important nutrients such as beta-carotene, Vitamin C and potassium!

Both of my recommended persimmon recipes are from Epicurious.com. These recipes would be fantastic for Holiday meals! I also want to experiment with persimmons in holiday tabletop displays, as persimmons are so gorgeous in hue, shape and texture and would make for an amazing organic centerpiece!


(how incredibly gorgeous for any special Holiday gathering!)

Persimmon Cranberry Sauce

Yield: Makes about 2 1/2 cups
Active time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Note: The bright, tender fruit of Fuyu persimmons mellows the intensity of cranberries while lending this sauce a beautiful jewel-like hue. Using Fuyus, which can be eaten hard or soft, removes the guesswork of finding ripe fruit.

Ingredients
• 3/4 lb fresh or frozen cranberries (3 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup dry red wine
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 star anise or 1/4 teaspoon star-anise pieces
• 1/2 to 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 firm-ripe Fuyu persimmons (about 1 lb total), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice


Preparation
Bring cranberries, wine, water, star anise, 1/2 cup sugar, and a pinch of salt to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally, then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Add more sugar, to taste (up to about 2 1/2 tablespoons), and discard star anise. Fold in persimmons.
Transfer to a bowl and serve at room temperature or chilled. Stir gently before serving.
Cooks' note: Cranberry sauce, without persimmons, can be made 4 days ahead and chilled, covered. Fold in persimmons before serving.


(This salad represents wonderful fall colors AND flavors!)

Salad of Fall Greens with Persimmons and Hazelnuts

Yield: Makes 10 to 12 servings

Ingredients
• 3/4 cup fresh tangerine juice
• 1 tablespoon grated tangerine peel
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons hazelnut oil or walnut oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 head escarole (about 11 ounces), torn into 2-inch pieces (about 12 cups)
• 1 large bunch watercress, stemmed (about 6 cups)
• 1 5-ounce bag mixed baby greens
• 2 Fuyu persimmon, peeled, halved, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skin rubbed off

Preparation
Boil tangerine juice and tangerine peel in heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl. Whisk in next 5 ingredients. Season dressing with pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Rewhisk before using.)
Place all greens and half of persimmon slices in large bowl. Add dressing and toss to coat. Divide salad among plates. Top each with remaining persimmon slices and hazelnuts and serve.


Visit Jet-Chef.com to find a caterer, personal chef or restaurant that features unique, exotic flavor trends that include persimmon and so many more!

Are you a caterer, personal chef or restaurant and want to be part of the Jet-Chef.com success? Log on to Jet-Chef.com and start your listing today for as little as $29.00/6 month membership! Contact us via email at info@imaiusa.com or call us toll-free at 1-877-774-1255.

Three Reason Jet-Chef Members Should Cook For YOU this Holiday Season!

As the Holidays approach, many of us anticipate hosting parties small and large with friends, family, colleagues or neighbors. Here are just three reasons you should contact a Jet-Chef.com member today to assist you with your Holiday Party Planning needs:


1. Less Work in the kitchen = More time to enjoy the Holidays! One commodity that we cannot buy more of is TIME. Who among us has ever wished for just another few hours, even an extra day or two around the busy Holiday Season? Visit Jet-Chef and you can easily find a Personal Chef, Caterer or Restaurant who can help you with much, if not all, of the work that goes into cooking and party planning! Are you simply looking for someone to do the major cooking for you, while you cook your specialty side dishes? Or, are you looking for someone to do it all from shopping, to cooking to set up to clean up? Visit Jet-Chef.com to find a member who will fit your needs!


We also have members who are florists, gift basket creators, pastry artists and chocolate creators! They can assist you with floral arrangements for your events, corporate and personal gift-giving and making your holiday event truly special. Visit Jet-Chef and use our extensive keyword search to find a variety of members with vast talents!

2. Find Holidays Adventures with a different cuisine or a special theme food event. Most of us simply don't have the resources and time to plan a special event, but dream of having that one dinner party, cocktail party or holiday meal that becomes a legend! Find a personal chef that specializes in Tapas, and you have the next hot Tapas and Cocktail Party that everyone will rave about for years to come! Been tempted to try tamales? Find a member on Jet-Chef that will do all of the work for you to try a new, exciting regional cuisine. Sushi for Thanksiving? Jet-Chef has members who can make any Holiday meal fantasy a reality! What a wonderful way to "travel" the world this holiday season, without leaving your home!


Many people are health-conscious, including during the Holiday Season. Visit Jet-Chef to locate chefs and caterers who specialize in healthy cuisines, cooking for a variety of health concerns, including gluten-free, vegetarian and more. In addition, for those who are focused on organic food, locally sourced food and "green" caterers and personal chefs. Jet-Chef has the perfect chef for a wide variety of cuisines and health conscious specialties!

3. Out of town for business or pleasure for the Holidays. Visit Jet-Chef.com to find a fantastic new restaurant in an unfamiliar city. Find a personal chef that can create a magical meal for you and your family, even providing personal chef services to you and your family in your vacation home. Many of us travel over the holidays, and still want to create memorable meals and memories. Let a Jet-Chef.com member help make this an extra special Holiday Vacation for you and your family!


If you are flying via private jet, ensure that your catering is provided by a Jet-Chef.com member. Simply inform your flight crew, your charter operator, or go to Jet-Chef to find a member that can assist you with all of your in flight catering needs for your holiday flying!

With over 300 members and growing day to day, Jet-Chef.com can help you find the perfect professional to make your Holidays a very special event while you are traveling, or at home! Go to http://www.jet-chef.com and search by keyword, airport identifier code, city, state or A-Z search.

Are you a Personal Chef, Caterer, Restaurant or other business owner that would like to be part of the Jet-Chef success story? Jet-Chef.com has transcended in flight catering to include a variety of options for anyone who loves food, from anywhere, at any time! Just visit http://www.jet-chef.com today to submit your registration, or contact us via email at info@jet-chef.com or toll-free at 1-877-774-1255 for more information!