Owner/personal chef, Bite of Sunshine, call 425-830-1690 or e-mail jhurst13@hotmail.com for rates and more information.
I came across Jenny Hurst's cooking talents at a party thrown by No Depression copublisher and Hattie's Hat owner Kyla Fairchild, an endlessly busy mother of two who loves to entertain but hates to cook. Hurst prepared a gorgeous spread that included fragrant roasted-pepper quiche, a citrusy olive tapenade, and tender feta phyllo pillows--recipes that showcased her ability to produce impressive meals for an astonishingly reasonable fee. Her fresh perspective and extremely affordable rates could make her a very busy woman in 2003.
What's your history in the food industry?
"I've always loved cooking, so I started assisting at PCC cooking classes. One of the teachers I was assisting recommended the School of Natural Cookery in Colorado, which was where he got his start as a private chef. So a year later I enrolled, graduated, and moved back to Seattle in February. And that's when I tried to start finding clients. It's been a slow process, but I'm slowly gathering a clientele."
So how did you find your first clients?
"I specialize in whole-foods cooking--not necessarily vegetarian, but healthy cooking. So I've been flyering at health clubs, natural-foods markets, and coffee shops."
What sorts of things do you make for clients who want a week's worth of meals prepared ahead of time?
"Different people have different requests based on their diets. Some people want more meat, and other people want vegetarian or wheat-free stuff, so it totally depends. Some people really want one-pot dishes with a protein and vegetable all in one...."
Such as?
"Roast chicken with artichoke hearts and garlic, beef stew with zucchini--or fish burritos, chicken-olive quiche, lemongrass and tofu... "
What are some of the more unusual requests you've accommodated? Anything that's particularly trendy right now?
"Well, I make baby food for Kyla [laughs]--I don't do that for everybody! Also, a lot of people are doing elimination diets or wheat-free diets. I have one client who won't eat corn, soy, dairy, wheat, or meat, and there are a lot of vegetables she can't eat either. And she's pregnant."
What on earth do you make for her?!
"Yeah, it is kind of difficult--I do bean stew with a lot of spinach, kale, and collard greens. She'll eat fish, so I'll make her salmon with lemon and rosemary."
