Maine Vibes Magazine: Hi Amy! Can you introduce yourself and your business!? 

Amy Kayne: My name is Amy Kayne, my pronouns are she/her, and my business is 2Gether Private Chefs.

MVM: How long have you been doing this? 

AK: Seven, almost eight years!

MVM: How did you get started in the private chef world? 

AK: I have always had a passion for food! Starting at the beginning though, when I entered the food world…I was a sales manager for an educational publishing company and my mom was turning 70. I was obsessed with this show called The Chew which had Michael Symon, Clinton Kelly, and Mario Batali.

 We were taking my mom to New York and I told her that we should go to a live taping of The Chew. I ended up writing a letter to the show and explaining that I'm Lebanese and Italian and I've always been raised around food. It's my mom's 70th birthday and I’d love for her to be at the tasting table. We ended up getting tickets and I got a call about a month later asking if we wanted to actually be on the show! It was a resounding yes, and they ended up having me on the show as one of the audience members.

The segment of the show was called Dine on a Dime and it was all about how to make your average food look beautiful. When I did the show in front of a live studio audience, it was my aha moment, I had to get into food! I had two boys at the time and was always looking at how to do different things with food to get them to eat. I was talking to my husband Kevin and told him something had to happen with a path into cooking. As soon as I said that, the universe was on my side. It was like, Oh good, she finally figured it out! After that, I had opportunity after opportunity come my way. It was like I was seeing the path opening up for me.

I ended up volunteering my time in exchange for learning. I knew someone who were friends with the owners of Big Tree Hospitality and I ended up starting at Hugo’s, which was big time and crazy! I worked under Mike Wiley, following that time, he saw my passion and wanted me to come back and I ended up getting 120 hrs of learning experience under my belt. 

I started thinking about how I could make being a chef a career. I was getting my hair done one day and my hairdresser asked if I had heard about Muse. It then clicked for me, I was going to practice that concept, but with food! From there, my husband and I created the branding and the name, which at the time was 2Gether We Cook. It then evolved into 2Gether Private Chefs once I started cooking for people in their homes and literally going door to door to introduce the concept. 

At first, it was about getting the word out, but I never did any major advertising, except through social media. Fast forward to last year, I had a team of 12, and seeing what I can do is so satisfying! This year, I’m taking more of a step back and redefining what Chef Amy Kayne is capable of. The company is still evolving but this summer has been the BEST ONE YET! I’m focusing on food experiences, private events and nourishment and the emotional connection with my clients. 

MVM: That is an incredible trajectory, what a wild journey. Starting your own business can be so daunting and I feel like I never know what I’m doing next. 

AK: It’s so true. That's part of being an entrepreneur, you go on high highs and low lows, and you can do it with your job flow. Once you start managing people, it gets complicated. For example, during the pandemic, I worried a lot about my team. I needed to make sure they were okay, so I didn't take work in order to make sure they were getting work. It was a big ebb and flow constantly but all in all, besides being a mom, I’ve never felt more me than when I can present food to people. 

MVM: It’s apparent! When at the 4KidsByKids event, it was like the energy was coming out of you and into the food! You talk about what the experience with food is. I’d love to know about when you were growing up, what your first food memories were and what you got excited about with food. 

AK: My mom is Lebanese and my dad is Sicilian, Italian. One of my first foods was hummus. My mom was the one that cooked the most with my family and her side of the family. Some of my favorite moments cooking when I was younger was every Sunday, my grandmother would come and we would do a family dinner. It was the best. She would be so proud of me today.

MVM: What are your favorite dishes from each culture? 

AK: Fresh tabouli in the summer, especially from my garden, and eating it with lettuce. On the Italian side, it’s definitely my marinara and meatballs with warm spaghetti and a glass of milk. 

MVM: Those both sound delicious! So you’ve hinted at this a little bit, but can you talk to me about what makes a good food experience? 

AK: It starts with the initial connection with the client. When I have a relationship with the person who hired me, it brings it to a whole new level. I ask my clients what gets them excited about food and I create the menu based on that. I’m constantly perfecting the menu as soon as I have those conversations and connections with the client. I also like to present food in a different way and complement the presentation of the food with different colors or flavors. 

MVM: With the Palette + Palate dinner that you put on, it seems like one of those unexpected experiences around food and visuals, which was very cool and fun. 

AK: That was exciting. I was able to dive into my creative self. When the artist, Laurie Fisher, showed me her paintings I immediately knew what dishes to pair them with. Being able to give a full sensory experience like Palette + Palate is different from when you’re going out to dinner. It’s really engulfing you in this amazing setting. It’s all about the journey from the appetizer to the dessert course; how do you get there, how do you feel after and could you taste the art?

MVM: It was so fun and so well executed; the visuals, tastings, smells, and stories behind the paintings and the connection to the dishes, it was great. So pivoting, the food industry is a male-dominated field. I want to ask you, how did you, and now continue to, break down those barriers to show people that women can be badass chefs too?

AK: I’m the youngest in my family and have always rolled with everyone, no matter what role you played in the family.  I have the same approach with clients whether I’m working with VIP clientele, bachelorette parties, vacation clients or existing clients I've had for years.  It’s about the connection to food and what I have to offer. Going into the food industry, I told myself I was going to be me, a badass Shef! I was always thinking of what I could do differently and define myself as a chef.  It might not be text book but it seems to be contagious and I'll take it!

There have been challenges in being invited into people's homes as a woman chef. Some of my favorite times are when I come in and serve them food and the guests are surprised at how good the food is. I find it funny and appreciate the subtle compliment and embrace why they are surprised by a short Middle Eastern Woman coming in and blowing their socks off!

It did become clear, through experience, that I wanted to have an all-woman team. I felt that it was really awesome to have that. I've been in business for eight years and have had an all-woman team up until this year. I’ve also always wanted to work with other moms and women to help raise each other up.  Through some changes, I plan on keeping the team to my Admin Team and I but partnering with other women private chefs in the industry.  I’m definitely excited to see the evolution of what’s to come for my business.

MVM: It’s a good feeling when people are surprised by what you can do, you know you’re worth it and when they see it too, that can feel good. 

AK: It was really cool to put on 4KidsByKids too. Watching the kids with me during the class and seeing them realize the passion one can have behind their work was wonderful. It’s important for kids to understand that, if you have a passion for something, no matter what boundaries you have, you can do anything! No matter who you are, be you, do what you’re passionate about and follow your path. 

MVM: Absolutely, 100%!! What a great thing for kids to participate in too, working together as a team and learning at the same time. I’m curious, do you have a favorite recipe that you want to share?

AK: My favorite recipe would have to be the tomato bourbon soup. You should know that I’m not one to follow recipes although I create recipes for clients. When I’m cooking for my family, it’s more about what I’m in the mood for and what I have in my kitchen. I might think about what theme I want to focus on too. Are we having Asian, Mexican, Lebanese, or something else?  But, when I'm creating recipes for people it’s making sure that I have the balance that I need. The goal is balance for your palate.  It’s about what’s in season, complimentary flavors, seasoning, acidity and texture. 

MVM: I don’t even think of these things, I throw things together from my kitchen without thinking about flavor profiles so I’m learning something today. I had readers submit a couple of questions via Instagram stories. Someone asked if you weren't a chef, what would you be?

AK: That's such an interesting question. It’s a difficult one for me to answer because, for me, being a chef is not a job, it is part of who I am. If I wasn’t a chef, I wouldn't be fully myself because it's such a part of me and my world and my life and how I express myself. If I didn’t have that part of me, I would say that I would be an event planner because I love that aspect of events.  

MVM: I love that response. That’s amazing that you know exactly who you are and what gifts you share with others. Another reader wanted to know what's your secret for beating salad fatigue. I mean, it feels like sometimes you can only make enough types of different salads. 

AK: There are three parts to this answer. I would chop everything up! If I had feta, artichokes, olives, tomatoes, cilantro, and lettuce, chop it all up. Sometimes I’ll put that into a sandwich, and mix salad dressing in.

My second piece of advice would be to get food that you like to put in or on your salad and make it into a lettuce wrap. You’re still eating a ‘salad’ but you are eating it in a different way, not with your fork but with your hands. 

My third piece of advice is to try something different from a salad. Maybe make a delicious soup or a stir fry that you can still get your veggies into. There are so many possibilities! 

MVM: I love it! Thank you for that, I love salads but I need help with mixing them up. Are there woman-owned, BIPOC, or LBGTQ+ creatives or businesses that you’d like to mention before we end?

AK: It’s hard to narrow it down to one. One is Julie Guerette of The Maine Event Planning Co. she kicked butt at 4KidsByKids and Palette + Palate and I am so thankful for her! There’s Liz Warfel from Liz’s Kitchen, Danielle from Rwanda Bean, Farmer Steph from Farm to Table Kids, Anne Karonis from SKORDO, Rachel from Experience Maine and Maker’s Galley. Gabrielle Cote, of Big Fish Cake Studio. Chef Elma Lopez from Chaval, there are so many! Food Photographer Lauren Lear Food, Krystina Benedetti from Messy Cookie, Caitlin of Geefreeliving, Jenny Bravo, Dorienne Lewin from Salud and Jennifer from Butter and Kale, Erin Flett . There are SO many, so these are just a few!

MVM: Thank you, Amy, this has been such an honor! I am so excited to see where your passion for cooking takes you!

Thank you to Amy Kayne for taking the time to talk with Maine Vibes Magazine, and for sharing your amazing talents with us all through your cooking.

Web: https://www.2getherwecook.com

Instagram: @2getherprivatechefs

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