Dorfman explained that his mother and grandmother had exposed him to Eastern European and Mediterranean cooking from a young age, but in Tuscany, he developed a “love affair” with the latter. He also grew to love Spanish cuisine, as his brother lived near Valencia and he was able to travel and take classes there. In addition, Dorfman has traveled to Argentina, the birthplace of his wife, Elisabet, and enjoys cooking traditional Argentinean dishes.  But Dorfman explained that, when it comes to his personal chef business, he does not offer menus based on what he loves to cook. He said that when clients hire him, they create their menus. 

“It’s really all about what they want,” he said. “Every client is a unique individual and deserves to be treated as such. With their help, we create a menu to meet palate-specific and dietary needs.”

Dorfman said the process begins when a client contacts him through his website, aculinarymind.com, or receives his contact information from another client. He arranges a personal assessment, or a one-on-one meetings with clients during which he surveys their kitchens and asks them about their taste preferences, allergies, dietary restrictions and the reasons why they contacted him. Dorfman noted that some clients would hire him for special events, while he goes to the homes of others more regularly to prepare up to a week’s worth of meals.

After informing the client of his personal background in the culinary industry, he will then begin working with them to create a menu and arrange the date that he’ll come to their home to cook. Before the cook date, the chef will purchase fresh ingredients of the client’s choosing at whatever store they like.

Whether he is performing a table service or packaging meals with heating instructions, Dorfman said he always cleans the kitchen when he is finished. He noted that pricing for any and all services should be discussed with him before the cook date.