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Private Chef's Recipes For Success a cooking show on fast-forward, and pulled it off without anyone noticing. The Lisa Resch For the chef/owner of Carolina Catering Co. and Coastal Flight

bride was thrilled, the guests were happy, and my team still brings it up years later.
Provisions, retailing was her first career. After eight years I wanted to open a
It perfectly sums up catering: controlled chaos, quick thinking and a great sense of
humor. restaurant. So my dad encouraged me to go to culinary school. I went to Johnson
and Wales Advanced Standing in
Pavlin Kalachev As a child, instead of asking for toys or Christmas gifts, Charleston, SC, and came back here
he would ask for kitchen tools and equipment. “Later on I started working in and opened restaurants (Bin 58 and
professional kitchens both in Bulgaria and in the United States,” he says. Now The Rooster) starting when I was 32. I
leading Chef Pav Global Cuisine, he chose the path of sold and decided I would just cater --
private chef after participating in the “Hell’s Kitchen’’ and people called. I remember being
TV show in Bulgaria: Something inside me shifted; so surprised that people called.
my passion for cooking became even stronger. I knew I How is your work rewarding?
wanted to continue my culinary career seriously, grow, and I have the best clients in Naples
build a name that people would associate with flavorful, and beyond. They give me creative
honest food and recognize as my own.” freedom on menus and event design, though we work hand in hand with clients on
I’ve built solid culinary experience. I worked different every detail of their dinners, parties, events and celebrations.
kitchens in Bulgaria, as well as in Texas at a steakhouse It gives me summers off with my children, and offers me freedom I wouldn’t
and later in Naples at Del Mar. otherwise have. I have met and traveled and been introduced to so many great chefs,
I also gained valuable kitchen experience in vintners and planners.
Provincetown, MA, and that’s actually where my private It’s challenging for my mind and my body, and mentoring and managing others
chef career truly began. has helped me grow as a woman so much.
During my first summer there, I worked on several What is your favorite food to prepare?
events and spent every day for a full month with one client and his friends. I realized Ones that I and my team have not made before. It’s fun and challenging-
how powerful it felt to cook personally for people – seeing my clients’ satisfaction in I also studied with a chef in Oaxaca for a short time. I do love authentic Mexican
real time -- instead of working behind the scenes in a restaurant kitchen. cuisine
Later, I returned to Naples and decided I wanted to stay here year-round, build Can you share a funny story about your work?
a business with a stable income, a family and a home. I have so many funny stories to share, I need to write a book -- and then I would
Why is it rewarding to you? probably have to leave town. We are sharing intimate dining experiences with our
This work brings me real joy, and my clients are wonderful. I’m deeply grateful clients in their homes, but we can also ship food and equipment by barge to islands
for every home that has welcomed me into their beautiful kitchens, trusted me with for a week at a time. Once we cooked without power for 200 people. We ran to
their equipment, and allowed me to create memorable flavors and experiences. Plus, Walmart, bought camping stoves and cooked on them -- with flashlights.
Enzo Ferreira
there is always something new to learn. There is no limit to growth, development
or knowledge. The many successful people I meet are an added bonus. They are
A native of Uruguay, he trained and cooked there and in Argentina before
incredibly motivating. Being around them pushes me even more to grow, work hard
coming to Naples and working for the Naples Yacht Club. He works to keep
and work for success.
ingredients fresh, simple and top quality.
Do you work with clients on menus?
As the saying goes, "less is more." Simple tagliatelle with
Yes. For me, it’s very important to create a menu that truly resonates with the
tomato sauce, with Parmesan cheese on top and a bottle of
client, meets their expectations, and satisfies all the senses.
wine is worth more than the most expensive dish you've ever
I also discuss the entire service experience with my clients. We talk about
paid for, he says, adding: “With Italian/Mediterranean cuisine,
timing, flow and how they want the service to unfold -- from preparation to plating
everything is cooked with time, with love, because cooking is
and serving.
an act of love.”
What is your favorite food to prepare?
How did you choose this line of work?
Definitely Mediterranean. I grew up with this style of cooking, and I come from
I was in my last year of high school, planning to be an
a region where it’s deeply rooted. It’s rich, vibrant and full of flavor. It uses a wide
agricultural engineer, when I realized I couldn't see myself
variety of spices and ingredients that give food a completely different depth, and I
spending the next four years or more sitting and reading
love experimenting with them. I always respect the core principles of cooking, but I
hundreds of books. So, I told my parents, and they supported
also like to improvise with flavors -- and I believe that’s when my most memorable
me 100 percent.
dishes are created.
I've always felt a calling to serve, to make others feel
That said, I honestly appreciate every cuisine. I genuinely love working with
comfortable.
all of them. But if I had to name a single favorite dish, it would come from Italian
Do you have a funny story to share?
cuisine: violla wild mushroom risotto with tarragon poached lobster tail. The beet
Yes. It happened at a country estate in Uruguay. I had prepared roasted
base gives the risotto a stunning purple color, while the lobster tail brings elegance
vegetables and barbecue. Of course, in the countryside the animals aren't usually
and a beautifully balanced flavor profile. You must try it.
on leashes. While some people were still eating, and just as I was serving the last
What does the public NOT know about your profession?
dish, one of my friend's dogs lunged at the grill, about five meters away from me.
When I enter a client’s home, I do so not only as a professional, but almost as
Stepping on the hot coals, the dog grabbed a very large piece of meat and ran off.
part of the family for the evening. I am trusted with the space, the kitchen, and
Even though the dog was whimpering from minor burns, he took his prize and ran
everything inside it.
to eat it under a tree.
I step in, take over, ensure the evening flows smoothly, and then quietly step
Is there anything about your work that the public does NOT know?
out - leaving the space exactly as I found it, as if no one had been there at all, except
I think everyone is pretty well aware of everything that working in a kitchen
for the memories and flavors left behind.
entails. But it's not just that; it also depends on the individual and how responsible
My goal is simple: to create memorable, unforgettable moments. And my clients
and professional they are.
can feel like guests too - fully present and enjoying the evening without worrying
I've worked with people who just punch in and out, and that's the extent of their
about cooking or cleaning.
commitment. But those who go far, those who achieve worldwide recognition, are
Final thoughts
constantly thinking about how to delight their guests, how to be better, how to give
In closing, I want to say that this profession requires a lot of hard work, passion,
a little more each day.
and pressure. But for me, that fire is exactly what fuels me and keeps my spark alive.
That's what people don't see or perceive: That dish they're eating today has
been in the mind of a culinary professional for several days, and sometimes even
a lifetime.
Do you know of a private chef worthy of note?
Contact Jeff Lytle at jlytle1951@gmail.com.
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