Personal Chefs Deliver Flavor and Share a Taste of Fiesta
We San Antonians love our food! As we kick off the festivities of the largely food-driven extravaganza known as Fiesta, we celebrate the ultimate luxury: personal chef services. Want meals delivered to you? Hosting a party and want to impress? These local chefs have you covered. Bonus: We’ve even included a recipe from each that are sure to make your dinner table a party anytime!
Canadian by birth, Chef Tim McDiarmid perfected her culinary craft for over two decades in the uber creative, foodie incubator and burgeoning Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg. Reared by an organic-garden-growing mom who purchased meat and dairy from local farmers, McDiarmid grew up in what she calls a “small hippie and farming community” north of Vancouver, British Columbia. Already well-versed in the farm-to-table and the locavore craze, she furthered her knowledge with world travels, frequenting Mediterranean markets and developing new uses for fresh produce.
McDiarmid’s time in New York was marked with experience in notable restaurants Odeon (in TriBeCa), Lucien, Diner, Annisa, and Kiosk, where she built kitchen skills, along with a strong design aesthetic.
Her cuisine is largely influenced by Greece, Turkey, Spain, Italy, Morocco, Portugal and Mexico. Her food is often healthy, produce-driven, and sensitive to special dietary concerns. “In comparison to the life I was used to, growing up on the west coast of Canada and spending my adult life in NYC, [San Antonio cuisine] is very different. It’s much heavier and richer. It's a struggle for people to change their eating habits when bbq and chicken fried steak is comfort food. When we do consultations, we really try to guide people to realize that these foods have to become once in a while treats, not main sources…well, if one wants to be fit and healthy, that is,” she says.
When she got to the Alamo City nearly 10 years ago, she launched her company Tim the Girl, offering catering, meal delivery, personal chef services, and cooking classes. She employs a team of talented women, including her mother Melissa. Also a consultant, McDiarmid, launched pop-up restaurant and art events through another business, the Special Projects Social, with furniture artist Peter Zubiate. She’s also added her direction to local menus at the Cevallos Loft situated grocer Uncommon Faire, as well as at Rosella Coffee.
Understanding the challenges of balancing work, life, and making good food choices, she finds happiness in being able to provide solutions for clients and their families. “We love to help clients discover new ways of eating that will help them attain their goals. It is hard to eat well when you don't know how to cook or don't have time. We make that possible.”
Adding even more to her mark on San Antonio, there’s something delicious ahead: a new grab-and-go café at the Pearl called The Good Kind is slated to open in the fall!
Chef McDiarmid offers something spring-fresh and easy to assemble for the for Fiesta, or really anytime you’re craving Tex-Mex flavor without the extra belt notches.
Sweet Potato, Black Bean, and Swiss Chard Enchiladas con Cilantro Crema
Sauce
Cold-pressed vegetable oil
8 cloves garlic, diced
Saute
2 tablespoons toasted ground cumin
Salt to taste
1 and 1/2 small serranos, diced with seeds
Simmer 20 min.
Filling
Heat 4 tablespoons cold-pressed vegetable oil
Add 4 diced garlic cloves
Add tablespoon coriander
Add tablespoon cumin
Saute
Add 1 finely diced medium yam
1 bunch Swiss chard (or rainbow chard), finely chopped
Saute on medium heat until sweet potatoes are tender
Add juice of 1/2 lime
Add can of black beans, drained
Crema
8 oz. Mexican crema/crème fraiche
Teaspoon lime zest
2 bunches of cilantro, remove the stems
Combine in a food processor gently
Corn tortillas
Heat tortillas on comal
Add filling inside tortillas
Add tomato sauce on top
Add crema on top
Makes 10-12 enchiladas
Garnish with chopped cilantro and toasted pumpkin seeds/pepitas. Serve hot and top with chopped parsley and lemon. Can be served as is, over quinoa, or with a nice loaf of warm bread.
Betsy Mitchell, a native of Ohio, grew up in a small rural community that firmly rooted her food philosophies. “Farm-to-table was our way of life: the food we ate (chicken, eggs, and grass-feed beef) came from relatives or neighbor’s farms,” says Mitchell. The youngest of four daughters, she was immersed in home-style cooking with her sisters, mom, and extended family.
Mitchell can relate to the juggling necessitated by both working couples and busy families with time constraints. Before she became a personal chef, she herself would put in 10 – 12 hour workdays and then face the daunting task of making meals. “I believe everyone has a calling on their life. Mine is to come alongside busy families and bring a much needed sense of peace to their dinner time hour. My hope is that through the service I provide, my families can be effective in all the roles they play, including school, careers, and (most importantly) relationships.”
A member of the American Personal & Private Chef Association, Mitchell started her company Simply Betsy 6 years ago. “I've chosen to focus exclusively on family cooking for weeknight meals. This enables me to focus on healthy dishes that busy families can rely on. For most families, evening mealtime can be extremely stressful. Usually, it consists of something on the go. Families are running to traveling sports teams, business obligations, music lessons, tutoring, and sometimes caring for aging parents. I have the ability to tailor meal preparation around weekly activities.” Mitchell makes it easy: “I leave detailed instructions for each evening, so even teenagers are able to start some meals. Can you imagine the relief for parents arriving home to the smell of something in the oven, or the convenience (without sacrificing nutrition) of something that just needs heating?”
Eating out is always an option in San Antonio and Mitchell says she hears about it often, “This year, Forbes Magazine named San Antonio as one of the cities where residents eat out the most often. There are so many outstanding choices with such variety. One of the most frequent things I hear from clients, though, is how much they want a home cooked meal ...at home.” She also finds her clients more and more request homey foods like pot pies and meat loafs. “I’m really about comfort foods: mid-western cooking with a healthy makeover.”
Chef Mitchell shares a favorite recipe here for a Fiesta-sensational salsa that can be served the traditional way or on tacos.
Grilled Pineapple Salsa
Yield: 3 Cups
½ ripe Pineapple, trimmed and sliced ½” thick
1 Large Red Bell Pepper, seeded and quartered
½ Small Red Onion, peeled and cut in half (2 quarters of a whole onion)
1 Jalapeno, seeded (keep seeds to add later) and cut in half
½ Cup loosely packed Cilantro, finely chopped
1 TBS Lemon Juice
¼ teaspoon ground Ginger
¼ teaspoon ground Cumin
Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive Oil
Directions:
Brush onions & peppers lightly with olive oil. Grill all veggies and pineapple until char marked on all sides. I use my panini press when the Texas heat is too hot for the grill! Once cool enough to handle, dab off any excess olive oil with paper towels. Chop carefully, since veggies will be slippery. Toss with the remaining ingredients. Add in remaining Jalapeno seeds if more heat is desired. Can be served immediately, or even better when chilled. Delicious alone, or served with Chili-Lime Chicken Tacos (recipe on my website), or alongside pork or fish.
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