Sherri Beauchamp has worked as a chef since 2004 and says she got into the food industry because of her passion for cooking. When we chatted recently, our discussion ranged from how she helped prepare special allergy free meals for a young client with autism to how to get the best quality fish at a high-end restaurant. Sherri is a true foodie. I asked her to tell me what her other passions were, she paused and asked “Can I pass on that question?”

Creative Loafing: What is the main request from your clientele? Do you have many clients who come to you because they need to change their diet due to a health concerns?

Sherri Beauchamp: The main requests are for healthy cuisines packed with a lot of flavor. Some of my clients have food allergies, gluten intolerances, and so forth and are tired of eating the same things. And, they don’t have time to be creative.

Tell me more about your client who had autism? What did his diet consist of? And, how did your prepared meals help him?

He had a Gluten-free, Soy-free, Casein-free, Apple-free, Corn-free diet which absolutely helped him. The combination of the food and other treatments his mother did for him really made a difference. If you saw him now you would never think he had an issue. He is learning just as well as his sister.

What are a few things a person who is trying to eat for optimal health should buy at the grocery store?

You need to have all the colors of the rainbows. Don’t limit yourself. Consume multiple veggies and more whole grains. Forget the white starchy stuff. Go for the healthy version of protein. Focus on grass fed and grain fed. And, know where your food source is coming from and how they are processing the food.

When you go to a restaurant, what do you normally order from the menu?

Items that are the freshest. I will ask the waitress which fish has arrived here the earliest and which has been sitting around the longest.

Do you teach cooking classes?

I teach one-on-one or in small groups in the home.

For more information about Chef Sherri visit: www.theseasonalkitchen.com.