Chef Mark on the Cover of Personal Chef Magazine

I'm so honored to be the coverboy of the latest Personal Chef Magazine. It's the main magazine for our industry, and it's amazing to have been chosen for it. The article tells my story and the circuitous way I came into being a personal chef.

More images:





Photos by Kelly Shimoda/Veras

Provocachic (SM) featured in Reuters

Reuters UK published an article this week about custom cocktails featuring Provocachic (SM):


What's Your Flavor? Cocktails Get Personal

SINGAPORE (Reuters Life!) - The cocktail just got personal: for a few thousand dollars, a Singaporean firm will create a drink as individual as you are.

Provocachic, owned by Sinaporean marketing expert Damian Sim, specializes in creating bespoke cocktails for corporations and people seeking a unique tipple to serve at special occasions.

"Taste is such a personal experience," said Sim, who prefers being called a "flavor Impressionist". "We create recipes that reflect the personality of the client and which aim to answer the question: what would your story taste like?"

Sim started Provocachic in 2002 after years of mixing cocktails to appeal to his friends.
"I like cocktails but so many people I know are put off by the bad ones they taste at bars. In Singapore and Asia, the industry is very cost-based so they often use cheap ingredients. I wanted to change that," he added.

Sim is the cocktail specialist at U.S.-based gourmet Web site The Gilded Fork (www.gildedfork.com) and Provocachic's clients have included American Express and luxury lingerie brand La Perla, which requested custom-made cocktails to serve to clients at product launch events.

Read the rest of the article here.

Chef Mark on FOX Business Channel

Chef Mark will appear on the new FOX Business Channel this coming Friday Nov. 2nd between 11:30AM - Noon EST. He will be a guest for a short 3-4 minute segment to speak about the Personal Chef industry.

This is a relatively new cable channel, in the CNBC vein, so "check your local listings", TiVo it, and tell your friends!

http://www.foxbusiness.com


Culinary Media Network, food, food podcast, cooking, recipe, food, ReMARKable Palate, Culinary Podcast Network, Gilded Fork

Chef Mark in USA Today

The AP published an article today on the growing popularity of personal chefs -- starring our very own Chef Mark. Congratulations!

It appears in the business section of USA Today, but you can see the AP version here:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g4aOK0HuId1Q6oWOGzIM5h9Rtf_QD8S5SKFG1

Excerpt below:

Mark Tafoya, who owns the New York-based ReMARKable Palate personal chef service, cooks for regular weekly clients and also offers one-time meal services, such as romantic dinners for two.

Tafoya prepares the meals in the client's home, with the dishes ranging from chicken enchiladas with a green tomatillo sauce to crab lasagna with bechamel sauce.

For regular clients, the week's meals are discussed in advance and are created in accordance with their dietary needs and personal tastes. Organic, vegetarian and kosher options are available and nothing is repeated for six months unless requested, he said.

Tafoya said that by cooking for the same clients over a long time, he's able to develop a kind of intimacy and customization that restaurant chefs just aren't able to.

"I think that when I do hit it off and when they like my food and I understand them and what they like to eat, I can suggest new dishes that they might not have tried before, but I think might be right for them," Tafoya said.

Tafoya said he was drawn to the profession after careers in acting and teaching. He saw it as a way to turn his love of food and cooking into a viable business.

Along with the ReMARKable Palate, Tafoya also is the co-owner and executive chef of The Gilded Fork, an online media company featuring recipes, podcasts and articles and blogs about food.

Tafoya said his typical weekly clients are incredibly busy, career-oriented people who don't have time to cook, but still appreciate a quality meal.



gilded fork, food, food writing, personal chefs, Chef Mark Tafoya