Pierre DeRagon Personal Chef Services

28/11/2024

CHARCUTERIE BOARDS OVER THE YEARS

28/11/2024

MORE OF MY FAVORITE WORK

28/11/2024

VANITY FAIR

This is likely hubris at its worst. I am missing cooking and all that career brought to me. So, over the next weeks I'm going to post photos of what I think is my best work over the years -- for myself, for those who have always been so supportive of my postings, and the clients for whom I cooked the dishes.

30/10/2024

30/10/2024

16/10/2024

HERE IS LISTING #1 OF ITEMS FOR SALE

There will be more lists published in the coming weeks. Look through, message with questions and buy, buy, buy!

22/09/2024

SWAN SONG.

After 14 wonderful years, last night was my swan song as a personal/private chef. We use this metaphor, "swan song" often throughout our lives but what does it mean, really? Not really knowing and to get a clear idea, I looked it up.

"'swan song' is a metaphor that refers to a final performance, effort, or gesture before death or retirement. It comes from the ancient Greek belief that swans are silent for most of their lives, but sing a beautiful song just before they die."

I'm not dead yet so, for me, this refers to my retirement. Even though I have never, ever been silent, last night I sang a beautiful song for a group of 10 lovely folks at a beautiful home set deep in the woods of Berks County. The gentleman who engaged me, Dr. Thomas Schantz, has been a presence in my life for many years.

As a young art professor at Kutztown University, spending a long time as chairman of the renowned art education department at that institution, Dr. Schantz came to know and rely on my mother who was a fixture in, and the brains behind, the University's registrar's office and he taught my sister, Sally, as she fulfilled her art education requirement to receive her degree in Early Childhood Education.

I asked Dr. Schantz how I came to know him; it was more than just by association with my mother and sister, we knew, but neither of us could remember. All I know is that he has been a presence in my life for as long as I have memory.

And last night nine of his closest friends gathered to celebrate his 80th birthday at this beautiful home of two of his closest friends set bucolically by the Saucony Creek on Forgedale Road... a beautiful home that, through various associations, I have known all my life.

I had cooked for Dr. Schantz once before many years ago in his beautiful tree house home (it's literally a tree house) not far from last night's venue and I was honored to cook my last dinner party before my retirement in celebration of his 80th.

My assistant for the evening was the divine Amanda Hart Seltzer who is lovely, charming, and quietly, effectively capable (thank you, Amanda!!!). It was not a difficult menu, I'm glad to say, and because of that it was a joy to cook.

I/we had a wonderful time and, if I do say so myself, the dinner was excellent. There were several loving naysayers in my life who told me I was crazy to attempt doing a dinner party in my "condition". Amanda is well aware of my many different physical liabilities and she knew just what to do to help me through it.

I am eternally grateful to her, to Dr. Schantz, to Deb and Marilyn (the hostesses) and to all the guests who made it a joyous swan song for me.

The menu can be seen in the photos below.