But help has arrived. Personal chefs, once the province of the wealthy, have become a popular and affordable alternative for many families.

The Bay Area boasts 62 personal chefs, and there are now more than 2,400 certified personal chefs nationwide, according to the United States Personal Chef Association.

Everett Waining, who has lived in Willow Glen for 15 years, has been a personal chef since January 2004.

Waining went to culinary school in 2000, after working in construction for 20 years.

"I spent a lot of time cooking with my mother when I was growing up and cooked for friends and girlfriends," Waning says. "I've always had a fondness for cooking, so after talking it over with my wife, we decided I should go back to school." He graduated in 2002 with honors from the culinary school at Cabrillo College.

He worked at the Session House in Capitola and also under Jeff Jake, head chef at Pebble Beach, before deciding he wanted to find a position closer to home. He knew about the American Personal Chef Association, and after meeting with a representative, decided to give it a try.

He was originally hired for dinner parties, but says he found a lot of regular clients from an ad he placed in the Willow Glen Resident.

Waining initially meets with clients in their home and has them fill out an assessment form.

"The form is a very thorough three-page questionnaire," he says. It asks what foods they like and dislike, what types of meats and vegetables are their favorites and which they hate; if they are on a specific diet like Atkins or South Beach. Once he learns what they like, he plan several sample meals and presents the menu for their approval. "The benefit is that I make exactly what they want and don't offer a preset menu," he says.

Once a menu is approved by the client, Waining shops for the ingredients.

"I shop at high-end grocery stores and purchase organic when ever possible," he says. In the summer he even grows his own vegetables and spices to use.

On a pre-arranged cooking day, usually while his clients are at work, Waining brings all utensils, pots and pans to their home and prepares the meals. Once prepared, meals are packaged in family-style or individual containers depending on the client's specification, labeled and stored in the refrigerator or freezer. A detailed instruction sheet outlining the reheating instructions for each meal is left for the client. Then Waining thoroughly cleans the kitchen before he leaves.

"The only thing the client notices is the house smells great and the refrigerator is full of healthy, nutritious food," Waining says.

Waining says he loves classic French and Italian dishes and has adapted the recipes so they are not as fattening as traditional ones. He also enjoys cooking Mediterranean dishes and is learning to cook Indian cuisine. In addition, he tests each recipe to ensure the dishes retain their flavor through the reheating process.

Meal plans range from $275 to $325 depending on the number of meals purchased. The cost also includes the groceries. Clients can choose from four servings of three entrées yielding 12 meals, four servings of four entrees yielding 16 meals or four servings of five entrees yielding 20 meals.

All meal plans include side dishes. Waining also provides a cooking service for special events and dinner parties.

For more information, call Everett Waining at 408.420.1449 or visit www.chefev.com.