Phase 3 of the “Restore Illinois Plan” will allow outdoor seating for restaurants starting May 29. This is good for most restaurant chefs but not so much for personal chefs. One DeKalb area personal chef is keeping his business flowing, in spite of the pandemic.
Personal Chef Rudy Galindo found himself in a pickle when the pandemic hit.
“It actually slowed me down because I did not have access to go into people's homes just because of safety. So, I switched over to doing classes,” he said.
Galindo is also a chef for Northern Illinois University. But right now, he is partnering with Kishwaukee College in Malta to offer online classes.
“I think they're $8 a class. You Zoom in for 45 minutes. We usually do about three recipes per or if it's a big recipe, we'll do one big recipe,” he said.
Galindo also figured out a way to continue serving his clients.
“I'm actually renting a commercial kitchen and cooking the meals, packaging them and then offering them for delivery,” he shared.
Galindo revealed that he has more time on his hands because he is able to make meals in larger batches. He said he is not sure if he will continue this process when the pandemic ends but for now, he is enjoying his new normal.
For those who can’t afford to eat at restaurants every day, Galindo suggests some ways to save money when eating at home such as keeping dry goods like beans, rice and pasta on hand.
“You know, make some big batches of like some rice casserole and make a green casserole, make a large batch of pasta, and you can divide those into different packages. And you can freeze them.”
Galindo published a book called "Comfort & Rustic Recipes." He said his book has basic recipes that he hopes will get people interested in cooking.
Galindo is also looking into ways to give back by donating his leftover ingredients to local organizations. He said he understands that people are struggling right now and that food has the power of bringing them together.
More information about Galindo can be found on Facebook and Instagram @chefrudygalindo.