CVstory

Chef Jennifer has apron,
will travel
Story Courtesy of The Central Virginian Newspaper
October 12, 2006
By Pat Wilson

Herb roasted chicken, crab cakes, pot roast,
fettuccini cacciatore, stuffed trout and grilled
New York strip steak are among the over three
dozen entree choices offered by Anna's Kitchen
Personal Chef Services.
Add side dishes, salads, bread and a dessert
and Chef Jennifer [Palmer] has prepared a
homemade meal, even though the family is at
work and school.
With the slogan of "Newest member at the family
dinner table," [Palmer] will shop for the menu
items chosen by the clients, prepare a meal in
their home and then clean up.
The chef will even fix special items, such as
chicken nuggets or pizza pockets, to delight the
younger set.

Choices and frequency are up to the client. [Palmer] will cook on a set schedule or cater a special occasion,and fees
vary depending on the menu choices and the number of meals.
As an example, she has a weekly service on a set day, providing up to five entrees and 10 side dishes sufficient to
feed a family of four. All prepared meals are stored in containers and labeled with heating instructions.
"All I leave behind are the aromas of freshly prepared meals for you to savor," she said.
Less frequent and one-time cooking are also options.
"I can cater for up to 80 people," said [Palmer].
The first step in her personal chef service is an assessment meeting with the client, discussing personal preferences,
noting dietary restrictions, deciding how often the service is needed and surveying the kitchen equipment available.
"We can custom tailor the menus to the family's budget and what they like to eat," she said.
The chef will often use fresh herbs from her garden, and when necessary, packs cooking utensils to take to the
home.
Anna's Kitchen also has gift certificates available, and [Palmer] will give cooking lessons to individuals or small
groups.
First-time customers receive a $25 discount and a free dessert.
[Palmer] credits her older brother, Jeff Hiott, for sparking her interest in the profession.
Also a chef, when Hiott was an apprentice, the pair practiced making pasta in the family's Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada
kitchen.
While still in high school, [Palmer] worked in the kitchen of a local restaurant, a renovated Victorian home.
"I'd make appetizers and desserts in the evenings after school," she said. "The chefs took me under their wings."
At 18, [Palmer] found herself running the kitchen at a teahouse/restaurant in her hometown.
"It was a crash course, ... ordering, menu planning, staff management. I loved it," she said.
Still feeling the need for a formal apprenticeship, [Palmer] spent three years in a program offered by the Banff Spring
Hotel, in conjunction with course work at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in Calgary.
"I earned my journeyman papers," she said.
When her parents moved to Florida, [Palmer] followed in 1992 working at Disney World in the pastry department of
the Swan Hotel. Raising a son, Jonny, required [Palmer] to take time away from the shift work inherent with being a
chef, and to find employment in a 9 to 5 office job. She also obtained her dual American-Canadian citizenship.
After a job transfer to Northern Virginia, [Palmer] met her fiancee and his work brought them to Louisa County three
years ago. After working for a Richmond caterer and the birth of Anna, now two years old, [Palmer] decided to fulfill
her dream and branch out on her own.
[Palmer] combined her gourmet food preparation skills and corporate level experience to the personal chef business
named for her daughter.
"The concept to do this had been in my brain since I was 18," she said.
[She] extends her service throughout Louisa, Fluvanna, Orange and Albemarle counties, as well as the Lake Anna
area of Spotsylvania County.
The chef can be contacted at (804) 363-6357, by e-mail at chefjenn@annaskitchenpcs.com. [Palmer] also has a
website, www.annaskitchenpcs.com.