Fran Weber gave up life in the fast lane to live in Boulder Creek where she prepares healthy, home-cooked meals for busy Silicon Valley clients who enjoy good food but don't have time to cook for themselves.




Photograph by TK







Personal chef Fran Weber cooks for her busy clients

By Suzanne Cristallo

In 1985, Fran Weber shunned the streets of New York for the country roads of California. She had decided the best place for her 3-year-old son to grow up was in the mountains away from city influences. So she brought Danny, their worldly goods and the expertise she had gained from nearly a decade of cooking in New York to Boulder Creek.

For the past two years, after having spent a career preparing French country, Italian and Mediterranean foods for a variety of restaurants owned by others, she has made her own way as a personal chef for families in Saratoga, Los Gatos and beyond.

"I prepare balanced meals that are delicious!" Weber says. "That's a good combination." It's a combination for which time-pressed, working couples are happy to pay $105 to $175 plus food costs to feed three people for a week. And that can be a bargain, Weber says, when you add up what is being spent on dinners out because no one wants to cook, or for spontaneous shopping after a harrying commute.

"My bills for food are more efficient, because I prepare soups or stews which can stretch over several days or feed extra people," Weber notes; she also spends time assuring the meals are balanced and nutritious.

For each of her clients, Weber devotes an eight- to 10-hour day each week, first shopping for the meats, fish, produce and staples at local stores--she prefers Whole Foods Market in Los Gatos--then returning to the client's home to do the cooking for the week.

"Most customers just like good food," she says, "but some prefer fish over meat." Some are vegetarian, while some want hearty soups instead of entrées, she adds.

Meals are individually packaged and ready to pop in the oven for lunch or dinner. "This way, you can always have something warm," she says, adding, "My goal is to have happy and satisfied customers."

A sampling of Weber's menus includes: chicken soup or stew with a chickpea and escarole salad; pork medallions accented with the woodsy flavor of porcini mushrooms in a Madeira wine sauce; or sea bass with butternut squash, potatoes and vegetables.

"It's not all fancy," she explains. "I do some good peasant food, like hearty stew, coq au vin (chicken, mushrooms, onions, bacon and herbs cooked together in wine) or lamb based in zinfandel with vegetables."

Weber first places the potatoes and vegetables in the bottom of a serving dish lined with parchment paper. She says parchment takes heat more effectively than waxed paper. Then she places parchment-enclosed meat and sauce on top of that. The labeled dish can be placed in the oven for heating, allowing the foods to warm in their own juices.

Weber, 46, grew up with the expert cooking influences of her mother and aunt. "My aunt made wonderful meals and presented them well," she recalls. In those days of 30 years ago, she adds, garnishes to make a plate beautiful were not common. Her aunt's artistry impressed Weber enough to influence her decision to attend the Culinary Institute of America and, immediately upon graduation, to enter the cooking field, where she has been for 25 years. "I love it!" she enthuses. "It's been a good career."

And what does a personal chef cook for herself? "Mostly I have cheese, wine and bread," she says with a smile, crediting the influences of a recent trip to France where cheese can be a meal. "But mostly, I like cheese to top off a hot main meal."

Weber saves a day each week for teaching in-home classes and preparing for dinner parties of up to 12 guests. For those she gets $35 an hour, plus food and transportation costs to handle shopping, cooking and cleanup. Her favorite locales are Saratoga and Los Gatos, where she says people enjoy eating well. "Eating well-prepared, fresh food is one of the great pleasures in life," she concludes.

---

Fran Weber's Personal Chef Service, 130 South St., Boulder Creek. 831.338.4228.

---

Photos: Eucalyptus tree and planting daffodils

Local Home Sales Listings

Weddings

Saratoga Sampler

Sports Briefs

Saratoga High School basketball