Would take this biz name seriously??

[ShawtyCat]

Wanted to run this by everyone:

How does Momma's Cooking sound for a Personal Chef Service? Im a momma and I cook so ....that's essentially how I came up with it. Sorry it isn't very original Thanks.

Jodi

[momoreg]

It sounds very down home and casual...

I guess it depends on who you want your clientele to be, and what image you want to portray. What quality sets your work apart from the rest, and does your name reflect that?

[ShawtyCat]

Yep, down home and casual is what I was looking for. I love cooking comfort food (which I can tailor to fit). That was the only thing I could come up with. Got a massive case of "writer's block".

[Kimmie]

How about

Momma's Comfort Food
Personal Chef Service

[chiffonade]

How about Mama's Comfort with a tag line like: For all the sustainence you crave - without the time investment. Don't settle for "nuked from a box," enjoy home cooking every night of the week.

The higher people go in income, the more a service like yours will appeal to them. Add up restaurant meal charges (ingredients x 4), tipping and traveling to a restaurant and back home and it can get pretty outrageous. A service like yours lets people actually enjoy the houses they worked so hard to buy!

Sounds like a wonderful service you could provide to families with infants and toddlers especially. I've heard a lot of parents talk about how frustrating it is to take little ones to a restaurant, so they order in instead.

You could market gift certificates to the friends, family and co-workers of new parents! People are always looking for novel gift ideas for birthdays, wedding and baby showers, etc.

One small suggestion...I'd spell it 'Mama' instead of 'Momma'. Only because if someone tries to look you up in the phone book they'll almost certainly look for 'Mama'.

[ShawtyCat]

WOW! Those are great suggestions. Thanks everyone.

FT,

You may be right about the spelling. Most people do say mama. There are LOTS of families in our area who eat out. Us included. I love to cook at home but it gets frustrating when you have to put your kids in their bedroom until you are done cooking. And let's not get into the restaurant horror stories. Little kids trying to run around restaurant sound familiar? And I know other parents don't need to put up with some people who have the gall to come over to your table and mention "Well, most people wouldn't think to bring their KIDS here! Why did't you try McDonald's?" I wanted to smack her!

Chiff,

I LOVE your marketing line! You guys are getting my creative juices flowing again. I left the name alone for a while and just started working on my marketing brochure, and biz cards.

FT

I know you have allergies etc. do you know any good sources for regarding cooking for allergies? I don't think everyone will have a nutritonist, dietician etc.

Thanks again everyone.

Jodi

PS

Forgot to mention that Ive started once or twice a month cooking at home. So much easier and more nutritional than a TV dinner right?

[Suzanne]

Jodi, I can just imagine somebody who doesn't know you hearing about "Mama's Comfort Cooking" and calling you to come meet them. They expect, shall we say, a full-figured, mellow lady of a certain age. And this little bitty girl with a gleam in her eye shows up. Oh, my -- I want to see their reaction! Go get 'em, tiger!

[ShawtyCat]

Yeah that is a funny picture!

[Jim]

How About...

Sit Down and Eat your Veggies - Your Momma's Chef Service

or

Just Desserts.... Mama's in the Kitchen

or, going out on a limb here....

Potatoes & Pudding - Chef Mom's Traditional Cooking

[brreynolds]

... I think "Mama's in the Kitchen" (the back half of one of your suggestions) might make a good name.

Shawtycat wrote:

I know you have allergies etc. do you know any good sources for regarding cooking for allergies? I don't think everyone will have a nutritonist, dietician etc.

Ohhhh...cooking for people with food allergies is an ambitious project because food allergies are a highly individual thing. It took me many months to figure out what I could and couldn't do and sometimes getting it wrong resulted in an emergency room visit. The potential for liability in cooking professionally for people with food allergies is probably very high.

Ironically, at its most basic, cooking a meal that I can eat is very simple, but you have to follow instructions scrupulously. For instance, most people don't realize that there's corn in iodized salt...even in iodized sea salt. If a person's allergic to corn, iodized salt can be a big problem.

Another example of how easy it can be to go wrong in cooking for people with food allergies is you have to consider such things as oil residue in your pans. You have to ask yourself if you've ever used peanut oil or corn oil or any other kind of oil that the person you're cooking for might be allergic to.

I really don't known any good sources for info on food allergies. Everything I had to learn to take care of myself was learned many years ago before I had internet access. The most valuable tool available to me was a booklet that my allergist gave me about food families. I'm sorry to say I no longer have that booklet. It contained all kinds of great tips, too. For instance, some people can't eat a food in its raw state, but if it's cooked or frozen the proteins sometimes change just enough that it's possible for them to eat it without an allergic reaction.

Sorry I can't be of more help!

[ShawtyCat]

FT,

Was just wondering what to do if I encounter someone with an allergy. It is better if they know what the allergy is and can give me a specific food(s) they have to stay away from. If they don't maybe I should suggest an allergist?

Jodi

[Isa]

Some allergies are minor, tomatoes will give you a rash or something simmilar. Then there are allergies who are so severe they can be fatal. Think of nut allergy, ever notice more and more food manufacturers print warning on their label saying Product may contain traces of nuts.


Be careful when you deal with people who have allergy, in fact ask your clients if she/he or anyone that might be eating the food has allergy. You will most likely need insurrance for your future business, this is one thing you'll need to look into.

Hey Jodi,

Well, some people with food allergies cheat...like my Mom. She eats eggs even though she knows she mustn't and then complains that she has a headache or upset stomach. Of course I think if she'd ever had a life-threatening reaction to eggs she'd probably straighten up. I had a college professor who would eat in fast food restaurants and occasionally go into anaphylactic shock from the food. He seemed to think it was just the price he had to pay for the convenience. I may be overly conservative, but I'd rather not play around with my health. You'll probably find a lot of variation in how strictly individuals with food allergies adhere to their dietary restrictions.

If a person you're cooking for has food allergies then I imagine they'd tell you up front. If they don't already have an allergist then they're probably not in the market for one. Some allergists are slicker at working with food allergy patients than others. Mine happened to be well educated on the subject in part because he had a child with food allergies.

I very rarely allow anyone else to cook for me and I rarely eat in restaurants. Over the years some very well-meaning people have made mistakes that had I not been so vigilant, could have sent me to an emergency room. But mine is a highly individual choice. I really hope you don't encounter too many of us...we can be a real pain-in-the-neck to cook for!