Julieth Torres has fond memories of assisting at her grandmother’s catering business, witnessing the joy on people’s faces as they savored the carefully crafted dishes. Today, Torres operates a personal chef service in London called Bites and Feasts, specializing in bespoke, freshly made meals bursting with flavor and diversity.
For individuals considering a shift in their meal planning approach or interested in exploring batch-cooking, Torres offers valuable insights:
1. Begin by outlining your dietary preferences and meal habits. This initial step is crucial for Torres when collaborating with new clients to determine meal quantities, food preferences, available ingredients, and shopping needs. Additionally, consider adequate storage solutions to maintain food freshness and accessibility.
2. Prior to meal preparation, ensure your pantry is stocked with essential items such as oils, spices, and other staples. Torres emphasizes the importance of variety in meal planning to prevent monotony and shares her approach of incorporating diverse elements into dishes.
3. Structure your meals around a balance of vegetables, proteins, and starches. By focusing on these key components, you can easily mix and match ingredients to create a variety of dishes. Torres suggests leveraging versatile proteins like shrimp for flexibility in recipes.
4. Embrace culinary experimentation and be open to trying new flavors and dishes. Torres encourages culinary exploration, noting that some of the best recipes stem from unexpected combinations and techniques honed through her diverse culinary background.
5. Practice self-compassion in your meal prep journey, recognizing that change is a gradual process. Torres emphasizes the significance of year-round dietary adjustments and self-improvement, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a positive relationship with food and health.
With a culinary background rooted in Colombia and enriched through experiences in Chicago and London, Torres emphasizes the value of diversity in cooking to sustain engagement and interest in meal preparation.