JWA talks to Boston-based private chef Katie Draisen. 

JWA: What inspired you to become a private chef?

Katie Draisen: I’m not sure if it was inspiration so much as this was the step that made the most sense for me at this point in time. I’ve been working back of house (as a cook in restaurant/bakery kitchens) since the summer before I went to college, so for almost eight years now. I was let go from my job as the head bread baker at a farm on Martha’s Vineyard after the summer of 2022, and I was starting to feel really burnt out from working nights, weekends, and 50 hours a week for years. Of course I’d seen so many people doing this on TikTok, and I’d catered a few dinner parties on my own while working my regular job, so I thought I’d give it a try full-time. It’s great to be able to work in this industry during normal human hours, and I think that motivated me a lot to try and make this work. 

JWA: How do you explore your Jewish heritage through food? 

KD: Jewish food is so many things, and I love that. When I worked as the head bread baker at Morning Glory Farm on Martha’s Vineyard, I was really proud to bring more Jewish options like challah and babka to our regular menu. I think the Jewish community on the island was grateful for that, and that made me really happy. Now, as a private chef, I love creating menus that have a Jewish influence. I just really enjoy learning about how Jewish food has developed all over the world, from Eastern Europe to the Levant, and I love sharing that with other people.  

JWA: I think of food as such a strong way to build community. Do you have any stories about food bringing people together? 

KD: So many stories! When my boyfriend was a student at Brandeis, we started a late-night food delivery service called Ketzeleh’s. On Friday nights, with the help of one of his roommates, we cooked Jewish-inspired drunk food and delivered it to students on campus. Our menus featured schnitzel sandwiches, knishes stuffed with pizza toppings, nacho latkes… you get the picture. It was incredibly fun for us to get creative with Jewish staples and make them appealing to everyone on campus, especially after a night of partying. Waltham, Massachusetts doesn’t have a huge late-night food scene, so I think the students were excited to have a student-run option with such a unique menu. It was a cool way to bring students together through Jewish food, and something that I hope we’ll be able to pick back up in the future!

JWA: What’s a Jewish or Mediterranean dish you want more people to try?

KD: In general, I would just like more awareness of Jewish food. People love bagels, and I just feel like we Jews deserve more credit [for them]. Bagels are a Jewish food and one of our people’s greatest contributions to American culinary culture! Folks will eat a bagel every day and have no idea that they’re eating a food with Jewish roots (and probably putting bacon on it). 

JWA: After a day of cooking meals for others, what’s your favorite meal to make for yourself?

KD: This is a tough one. I honestly really need to hire someone to do this for me, because at the end of the day, I usually end up making something in the air fryer and calling it a night. I always keep corn tortillas, beans, and eggs on hand so I can throw together a quick breakfast taco since it’s fast, easy, and always hits the spot. I also love making Thai-style curries with coconut milk and curry paste (Maesri and Mekhala are both great brands for curry paste!). I add in chopped veggies and tofu and usually eat it over rice or instant vermicelli. Honorable mention to sheet tray gnocchi. I’ll toss gnocchi, chicken sausage, broccolini, and canned artichokes together with olive oil and then bake it in the oven until the gnocchi is crispy. It’s really great with cherry tomatoes and feta. These are all one-pot, pan, or sheet tray meals. Honestly though, even these simple dinners sound really ambitious sometimes. After cooking and doing dishes all day, the thought of coming home and doing that for myself can be really unappealing.

JWA: What advice would you give to other young women starting their own business?

KD: I totally don’t feel like I’m in a position to give advice because I’m still so new to this, but I’ll give it a shot. I’ve been running my own business officially for about a year now, but before I started doing this full-time, I would take on smaller catering gigs and one-time meal prep clients. I had no idea what to charge and seriously undervalued myself. My biggest piece of advice to other young women would be to know your worth and set up a business model with set services and prices before you get in too deep with clients. I’ve found that, especially in the service/culinary field, and even more so if you’re a woman in these fields, people will try to make you feel like the price you’re asking for is too expensive. Your clients should be able to afford your service or product. People who make you feel like you’re overcharging aren’t worthy of your time and they aren’t your target demographic. On another note… taxes make no sense whatsoever, so I highly recommend working with an accountant.    

JWA: And finally, if anyone is hungry from reading this…where can people find you? 

KD: Feel free to check out my website or drop me a follow on Instagram! I’d love to hear from anyone.