Chef in Santa Barbara, California

Hello, My name is Lennon Wiser and I have recently moved to Santa Barbara from Portland, Oregon with my family. I love cooking, but do not have the desire to work in restaurants. I much prefer the more personal approach of in home cooking. I am well versed in Italian, Pacific Northwest, and local California cuisine. I only use the freshest ingredients from local farmers markets and seafood retailers. My main emphasis is to cook healthy, flavorful dishes beautifully, without overdoing it. I've learned in Portland, that you don't need a ton of ingredients to cook wonderful food. In most cases, simple is better when you are using fantastic produce, fish, and game. I generally cook from the hip, meaning that I can make dishes on the fly without recipes, basically using the ingredients on hand. I just need an idea of what you're interested in for the evening and I will go from there. I also have and Advanced Sommelier degree from the Court of Master Sommeliers. I am excellent with food and wine pairing and love sharing my passion with others. I can do private intimate or casual dinners for two, all the way up to 10 or 12 people. If we schedule it in advance, I can do a bit larger group. That being said, I'm not a caterer and I don't have a huge van full of cooking supplies with team of chefs and service people. I will be bringing my knives, a few tools that I like to use, some times my wife to help, and that's about it. Therefor, a lot depends on the kitchen that you have for me to use, though I can be quite crafty with small spaces! If there is something you are missing, I most likely have it at home and can bring it with me. I am happy to select the ingredients from the store/farmers market, wine shop, etc ahead of time based on what you are in the mood for and bring them with me, or you can provide the ingredients, and I'll work with what you have!! I can do simple family dinners, that are healthy, flavorful and easy and actually show you how to do it, which is really fun for the kids or a couples date. I can also do much more elaborate, 3 or 4 course dinners with wine pairings and commentary if that's what you are looking for. I'm not a baker, but I do know where to obtain and how to plate excellent desserts. To be clear up front, I am not a professionally trained chef, nor do I wish to be. I am a professionally trained food and wine aficionado with an excellent palate, a gift in the kitchen, and a true passion for cooking and entertaining. Compensation will vary based on what you are looking to do. I start at $75 for a simple dinner for the family. I will pair wine free of charge for that, because I enjoy it! If you would prefer that I go and pick up the ingredients/wine, there will be an additional $25-40 charge for my time and gas depending on how many stops I need to make and where you live. I have no problems with everyone hanging out in the kitchen observing and asking questions, because that's how we do it at home with my family! If you want a more intimate date style dinner, just say the word and I'll simply cook and serve. I am happy to do the dishes for smaller dinners free of charge, however for larger parties, there will be a fee that we can agree upon when we set up the event. Larger more elaborate dinners will go up from there, but we can discuss that over the phone or in person. I do not charge by the hour, as I don't want to feel rushed, nor do I want you to feel like you need me to leave at a certain time to save money. I want you to have a relaxed enjoyable evening, with great food and great company. Therefore, I simply charge by the dinner. I do not do breakfast and generally I'm not a big fan of lunches either, though I would make an exception if it was worth my time. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me anytime via phone, text, or email. I am happy to send you pictures of some of my dishes to give you an idea of what you can expect. I look forward to cooking for you! Lennon Wiser 971-217-... [email protected]