While always an avid fan of good food, it wasn't until her early twenties - living among the bounty of gourmet food shops, farmer's markets and restaurants of New York City - that cooking became a major part of Christine's life. Growing up in a small New England town didn't afford great opportunity to experience much variety, but she was always interested in eating well. Her mother was an accomplished cook, but passed away at a young age, so Christine and her sisters weren't able to learn at her hand. Raised by her father, who enjoyed an offbeat approach to cooking, Christine did learn how to judge when a turkey was done by "eyeballing it," that chicken soup contains "whatever's left in the fridge on a Sunday," and to this day has yet to learn the secret ingredient in "Dadburgers." His approach instilled in her a habit of creating recipes just by seeing what's on hand, which is a great help on those cheffing days when an important ingredient is not available.

Preparing and enjoying good food and wine became a way of relaxing and entertaining friends, and like many personal chefs, Christine eventually sought a way to make a living doing something she loved. After 12 years in technology marketing and product management, she started TaylorMade Meals in 2004, initially as a part-time venture on the side. Her first paying cooking job was making Christmas pies for a client who had a treasured family recipe but no time to cook, and she hasn't looked back since. A full-time PC since 2006 with an active client base in the MetroWest Boston area, Christine specializes in fresh and healthy food for busy professionals. Christine graduated as valedictorian of her class from the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, completing the school's Culinary Certificate Program in 2006. The program provided her with a foundation in food chemistry, butchering, knife skills, and classical pastry and savory cooking techniques.

Christine joined the Personal Chefs Network in 2004 , and spent almost a year planning to launch her business. During that time, she relied on her past business and marketing experience to develop a business plan, a marketing program, a web site, and simple brochures. "Much of that planning time was actually a form of foot-dragging," she says. "I think I was trying to complete all these tasks on paper, before actually going out and doing it. It was scary!" But after a year and a half of cheffing on the side, she was finally ready to make the break and leave her former career behind. Since completing culinary school, her client list has grown steadily to her current full load, and she's learned something new from every one of them. Currently focusing on weekly and bi-weekly service, her clients include vegetarians, gluten- and soy-free diets and other special needs, as well as those who just want to eat healthier than they can when cooking for themselves. She also specializes in private Wine and Scotch Tasting parties with matched food pairings (working with a local entrepreneur with many years of experience in the wine and spirits industry), and also offers private cooking instruction and dinner party services.

Contact Chef Christine Taylor Garner
christine@taylormademeals.com
www.taylormademeals.com