Not out, but at home. Since corona, Micha van der Veen has been introducing people to gastronomic cuisine. His concept: a private chef at home.
It’s just before Christmas. The days are filled with extensive dinners and closing drinks. Some planned far in advance, others arranged at the last minute. Twelve friends are gathering in Jurjen Veldhoen’s house this evening. Veldhoen didn’t feel like cooking himself and the restaurants were already full. Chef Micha managed to help him out at the last minute.
Micha van der Veen (27) worked for years at top restaurants such as De Librije*** in Zwolle and De Heeren van Harinxma* in Beetsterzwaag. Until recently he started his own business. “I always believed in it, but I never expected it to turn out so well so quickly.”
Hotchpotch
The kitchen is taken over more than an hour before the guests are invited. At the tightly laid table, the wife and children quickly eat a stew. “But really don’t mess around.” Tonight is a night for the men.
Around seven o’clock the group trickles into the house. The gentlemen first chat with a glass of champagne. A number of classic Christmas hits can be heard in the background.
Not much later it is time for the first amuse-bouche. A tree trunk full of balls made of lentils. Hollow inside and lightweight. Micha makes a hole in it with the rounded side of the spoon. A cream of wild mushrooms keeps the lentil balls in place. The dried mushroom powder completes the dish. Even before the gentlemen sit down at the table, Astrid Agricola (23) provides the group with a snack. She is in charge of the service tonight.
In the past, a private chef was mainly reserved for the elite, but nowadays that is different, says the chef. “It has become more normal and it is not much more expensive than when you eat out in a restaurant. Everything is expensive these days.”
Everything out of your hands
But why would you rather be at home than away? The answer seems simple. “People are completely pampered and can let go of everything.” He brings the crockery and the dishes are also arranged. A babysitter is not necessary and guests can make as much noise as they want.
Back to the kitchen. It fits neatly. Covered containers, displayed bowls and several heat lamps. That cuisine typifies his mentality. To achieve something you have to work hard, Van der Veen believes. “If you want to compete at this level, you just have to get it done.”
A little later, Veldhoen walks up to the chef with a tense face. An extra person joins us. “Ooh, no problem!”, van der Veen reassures the chairman. “Look, this is what I mean. You always have to be prepared for these types of situations.”
Mentality
He often did all the work alone, but increasingly he hires staff. He chooses his employees based on motivation. “As long as they want to work hard enough, I don’t care where they come from. They don’t necessarily need that knowledge, I will teach it to them.” But he sometimes misses the mentality to work hard among the youth. “Young people no longer seem to have a passion for the profession. Everyone wants to be a multi-millionaire but no one wants to work for it.”
When he was forced to stay at home due to the arrival of corona, he had a hard time. Boredom struck and he missed his work in the kitchen. “We made all these packages that people could use to get started themselves. I was working, but I wasn’t really busy eating.”
A one-time dinner
That’s why he decided to cook for some of his father’s friends at home. They were enthusiastic and told others. A few weeks later, an application came in from a large company. He liked that.
With the idea of a one-off dinner, he visited the Chamber of Commerce. “They suddenly asked for my company name at the counter.” He came up with the name ‘Mies’ on the spot. “It was only for one time.” But requests poured in and his original idea got out of hand.
It wasn’t just his guests who were enthusiastic. The changing menu, greater responsibility and more personal contact made him enjoy his work much more. “I enjoy cooking, I like the high end and keeping the chaos under control gives me a huge kick.”
But if he had to mention a disadvantage it would be the towing. “Now we have our car in front of the door, but sometimes you have to go up to the third floor with all your stuff. Then I sometimes think, what on earth am I doing?”
The sauce is alive
In the meantime, the starter is being prepared in the kitchen. A sea bass tartare is covered in a curdled dressing of buttermilk and chives. “I did that on purpose,” the chef explains. “If it had not curdled, it would have become green puree. Now the sauce is alive, it looks much nicer.”
The dish is further built up with slices of sweet and sour radish, roasted avocado and a horseradish mayonnaise. Grated apple slices and a homemade seaweed cracker complete it.
He can put together such a menu within a few hours. Often watching and testing a lot helped him with this. “When I see a pumpkin in the store, I immediately know a hundred ways to prepare it and all kinds of flavor combinations arise in my head, that just happens naturally.”
Taste is the most important
He adapts that menu to the budget he receives. “One day I’m cooking for gigantic millionaires, the next day I’m catering for a barbecue. I really enjoy doing both.”
He also tries to incorporate as many seasonal products into his menu as possible. But taste is the most important. In summer the dishes are lighter than in winter, but otherwise it depends on what people want. There is only one rule: no food is thrown away.
The wine is poured and the starter is served. The chef addresses the gentlemen. “Before you lies…” There is silence for a moment, the group listens attentively. “That looks nice, Micha!”, echoes through the room. Van der Veen looks satisfied, looking forward to the next course.