THE JOY OF NOT COOKING PLAN AHEAD - HIRE A PERSONAL CHEF.

Byline: Amy Raisin Staff Writer

NEWHALL - The oldest child in a one-parent, big Boston family, Terry Hampton assumed the role of chef at the same age many children were mastering their bicycles.

Never one to sit idle, the recently retired technical writer is taking her culinary delights into Santa Clarita Valley homes with Sweetees Personal Chef Service, a licensed, custom meal preparation service for people with discriminating taste.

``I used to do it for therapy,'' Hampton said of her dedication to cooking. ``Then I did a cost analysis of how much therapy was costing me, and that's when I decided to sell the cookies and cakes and breads'' to friends and co-workers.

Sweetees, however, is much more than a woman with an urge to cook.

After meeting with clients to learn their likes, dislikes and special needs, Hampton drafts a sample menu of 10 meals that, upon approval, she cooks in the client's kitchen with fresh ingredients and her own pots, pans and spices.

The basic package, which feeds two to four people, starts at $350 and includes the price of food, which Hampton purchases. The meals take about six hours to prepare and are then packaged, labeled and frozen.

Some of her specialties include lemon Moroccan chicken, beef carbonade and freshly baked sourdough bread. And while she's fluent in the customs of Italian, Chinese, Mexican and French cooking, Hampton understands the value of ``comfort foods'' such as macaroni and cheese, meatloaf and flavorful gravies.

Before earning her U.S. Personal Chef Association license, Hampton was trained in food preparation, freezing and storage, and customer relations.

``It gives me a lot of pleasure, having people eat my food and say, Oh, this is delicious,'' said Hampton, who has three grown daughters. ``They were so spoiled. My daughters' friends would come over and eat all my cakes and cookies. But my daughters, they were used to it.''

Hampton's business is well suited but not limited to professionals with or without children, affluent seniors, new mothers, diet-conscious eaters and medical patients recovering at home.

For information on Sweetees Personal Chef Service, call [phone].

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2 photos

Photo:

(1) Chef Terry Hampton's home is filled with recipe books she researches in preparing custom meals for the clients in her business, Sweetees Personal Chef Service.

(2) Terry Hampton of Sweetees Personal Chef Service shows samples of her Moroccan chicken and chicken cacciatore.

David R. Crane/Staff Photographer