The Best Vacation Souvenir? Dinner You Didn’t Have to Cook
August has a way of making us want to squeeze every last drop out of summer.
There are still long evenings to enjoy, family trips to take, friends to gather around the table, and plenty of reasons to linger outside just a little longer. But if you have ever been the person responsible for feeding everyone on vacation, you know there is one part of the trip that can start to feel a lot less relaxing: What are we doing for dinner?
Someone has to make the grocery list. Someone has to shop. Someone has to figure out what everyone will eat. Someone inevitably discovers that the rental house is missing the one pan you actually need.
And somehow, that “simple family dinner” turns into half the afternoon spent in the kitchen.
That is exactly where hiring a personal chef can completely change the feel of a family vacation.
More Vacation, Less Kitchen Duty
One of my favorite things about cooking for families is seeing what happens when everyone gets to actually be part of the evening.
Instead of one or two people disappearing into the kitchen while everyone else relaxes, the whole family gets to stay together. Parents can enjoy a glass of wine. Grandparents can visit with the kids. Friends can keep chatting by the pool instead of rushing inside to chop vegetables.
Meanwhile, dinner is being taken care of.
A personal chef can plan the menu, shop for fresh ingredients, prepare the meal, accommodate dietary needs, serve everything beautifully, and leave the kitchen looking like dinner magically appeared.
You still get the comfort of sharing a meal at home, just without spending your vacation making it happen.
It Can Feel Special Without Feeling Formal
Hiring a chef does not have to mean white tablecloths and a very serious seven-course dinner.
Sometimes the best vacation meals are the relaxed ones.
Think big seasonal salads, grilled vegetables, fresh seafood, beautiful grazing boards, colorful family-style dishes, or a favorite dessert everyone keeps sneaking back into the kitchen for.
The menu can match the mood of the trip.
A birthday dinner might call for something a little more celebratory. A beach-house vacation might be casual, fresh, and seafood-forward. A multigenerational family getaway might need dishes that appeal to children and adults while also accounting for allergies or dietary restrictions.
That flexibility is one of the biggest benefits of having someone cook specifically for your group. The meal is built around you, not around what happens to be available on a restaurant menu.
No Reservations Required
Vacation dining out can be wonderful, but coordinating a large group at a restaurant can become an event all by itself.
What time can everyone be ready?
Will they seat twelve people together?
Is there something the kids will eat?
Can the restaurant accommodate gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, or other dietary needs?
And perhaps most importantly: does anyone actually want to change out of their swimsuit?
Having dinner prepared at your vacation home removes a lot of those logistics. Everyone can settle in, relax, and enjoy a meal without navigating traffic, reservations, parking, or the inevitable “Where are my shoes?” search five minutes before leaving.
Sometimes the most luxurious thing is simply being able to stay exactly where you are.
Dinner Parties Work the Same Way
You do not need to be on vacation to enjoy the benefits of hiring a chef.
A dinner party at home should be fun for the host too.
When I cook for an intimate gathering, my goal is not only to create something delicious. I want the evening to feel thoughtful, comfortable, and easy. Good food should bring people together, not leave the host checking the oven every six minutes.
When the cooking is handled, you can focus on the part that actually matters: welcoming people into your home, catching up, laughing, pouring another glass, and sitting down at the table with everyone else.
Because the person hosting the party deserves to enjoy it too.
A Little Taste of Mayberry
For this month’s recipe, we are continuing the Mayberry Cookbook Series with a dish that feels right at home at a relaxed summer brunch, luncheon, or dinner table:
Mayberry Cookbook Series: OPIES Row of Spinach Quiche. Yum!
OPIES Row of Spinach Quiche
Yum!
A good spinach quiche is one of those recipes that works almost anywhere. Serve it warm for brunch, pair it with a fresh seasonal salad for dinner, or enjoy a leftover slice the next day when nobody feels like cooking.
The combination of spinach, feta or goat cheese, scallions, and flaky homemade crust makes this one simple, comforting, and wonderfully versatile.
Equipment:
Pie Dish
(I like using a glass pie dish because you can peek underneath and see whether the bottom of the crust is fully baked.)
Ingredients:
1 recipe Easy Pie Crust, chilled for at least 2 hours; save the remaining dough for another use*
5 ounces fresh spinach**
6 large eggs
½ cup milk
1 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese
1 cup chopped green onions
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
- Roll out one disk of pie dough according to the recipe instructions until you have a large circle about ⅛-inch thick.
- Gently roll the dough over your rolling pin and unroll it over a 9- or 9.5-inch pie dish. Use your hands to press it firmly into the bottom and up the sides.
- Trim any excess dough so that you have a ½-inch overhang on all sides of the pie pan. Roll the edge of the dough under itself so that it lines up with the rim of the pan, then use your fingers or a fork to crimp the edge.
- Loosely tent the crust with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Once the oven is hot, uncover the crust and prick the bottom all over with a fork. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill it with dried beans or pie weights, reaching the top of the crust.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until the edges of the crust are set.
- Remove the crust from the oven and carefully lift out the parchment paper and pie weights. Return the crust to the oven for another 5 to 8 minutes, or until the bottom is beginning to set.
- Remove from the oven and allow it to cool slightly.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
- Place the spinach in a steamer basket over a pot filled with about 1 inch of water. Bring the water to a simmer, cover, and steam for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted.
- Transfer the spinach to a kitchen towel and allow it to cool slightly. Wring out as much excess water as possible.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Add the steamed spinach, feta or goat cheese, green onions, salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Stir to combine.
- Pour the mixture into the par-baked crust. If necessary, use a spatula to smooth the filling into an even layer.
- Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the eggs are just set.
- Allow the quiche to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes:
* Leftover pie dough will keep tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
** Frozen chopped spinach works too. There is no need to steam it. Simply allow the spinach to thaw completely and squeeze out the excess water before adding it to the egg mixture.
Make the Most of the Last Days of Summer
There are only so many summer dinners, family vacations, and long evenings around the table each year.
If bringing in a chef means spending one less afternoon grocery shopping and one more afternoon swimming, talking, exploring, or doing absolutely nothing with the people you love, I think that is a pretty wonderful trade.
Whether you are planning a family getaway, hosting friends for dinner, or gathering everyone together for one last summer celebration, I would love to create a meal that lets you enjoy the occasion just as much as your guests do.
Here’s to good food, full tables, and a little more time together.
