Chef Amanda, the Columbus Private Chef Who Makes Eating Well Feel Effortless

One of Amanda’s meal prep clients lost 40 pounds after booking her regularly through CookinGenie. Not because Amanda handed over a strict plan, but because every session became a quiet conversation about ingredients, where they came from, and what they actually do for you. The client kept listening. She kept booking. The food changed. So did everything else.

“There’s more to it than just putting food on a plate,” Amanda says. “It’s also an educational experience for my clients.”

That is who Chef Amanda Parks is.

Amanda at a glance

• Location: Columbus, Ohio (also serving Cincinnati)
• Experience: 30 years across dishwasher, line cook, executive chef, and restaurant owner
• Sourcing: Three farmers markets weekly, 50-mile radius, fully seasonal
• Known for: Farm-to-table cooking, meal prep that changes habits, client education
• Best for: Health-conscious households, busy professionals, clean eating goals
• Available on: CookinGenie in Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio

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The farm she grew up on and never really left

Amanda grew up in Melbern, Ohio, on a farm surrounded by apple, peach, and pear orchards and the livestock that would become dinner. She was six years old when she stood at the kitchen table watching her grandfather, uncle, and mother turn an entire hog into pork sausage, meat up to their elbows. By her own account it was not an average culinary upbringing. It was, however, a thorough one.

Her mother kept her in the kitchen throughout childhood, always beside her grandma or great-grandma as they cooked. When it came time to choose a career, Amanda wanted to pursue sculpting. Her mother asked one question. Would she rather be a well-fed chef or a starving artist?

Amanda chose the kitchen. She found in cooking a different kind of creative freedom from the one she had been chasing in art. Thirty years of professional kitchens followed. Dishwasher, line cook, executive chef, restaurant owner. She has seen the industry from every angle.

What farm to table actually means when Amanda says it

For Amanda, farm to table is not a menu descriptor. It is just how she has always cooked, long before it became a phrase restaurants put on chalkboards.

Every week she drives to three different farmers markets across Ohio. Every ingredient she buys comes from within a 50-mile radius.

Her meat comes from one vendor specifically, chosen because they share her motto exactly. Sustainable, humane, whole. Her menus shift with the seasons not by design but by default, because that is what honest cooking looks like. Right now, spring means the tart red rhubarb that flourishes this time of year takes a prominent place on the plate.

“I want to be real and I want the food to be real,” she says.

That commitment shapes the relationships she builds with clients too. People taste the difference. Then they want to understand it. And that curiosity is where the real work begins.

How CookinGenie makes chefs like Amanda possible

Amanda’s philosophy is exceptional. What makes it accessible to anyone in Columbus or Cincinnati is the platform behind her.

For many households, finding a qualified private chef used to be harder than deciding they wanted one. CookinGenie changes that.

Here is what every CookinGenie booking is built on:

• ServSafe-certified chefs: Following CDC and FDA food safety guidelines, so every meal prepared in your home meets professional kitchen standards
• Custom menus built around you: Dietary restrictions, allergies, cuisine preferences, and health goals are all accounted for before a single ingredient is purchased
• Full-service from start to finish: Your chef arrives with fresh ingredients sourced for your confirmed menu, cooks in your kitchen, and leaves it cleaner than they found it
• Chefs across cuisines and budgets: Whether you want French fine dining, clean seasonal cooking, comfort food, or allergy-friendly meals, there is a chef on CookinGenie who specializes in exactly that
• Meal prep and single-session bookings: Book once for a special occasion or set up a recurring weekly rhythm that changes how your household eats over time
• 24/7 support: Via email, phone, or chat for anything you need before, during, or after your booking

The platform operates across 75+ cities in the United States, including Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio. Every chef profile carries verified reviews, cuisine specializations, and real-time availability so you know exactly who you are inviting into your home before you confirm.

How to hire a private chef through CookinGenie in Columbus

The process takes minutes, not days.

• Visit CookinGenie and enter your zip code
• Browse chef profiles, menus, verified reviews, and cuisine specializations
• Select your experience. A single dinner, a special occasion, or recurring weekly meal prep
• Customize your menu around dietary needs, preferences, and group size
• Confirm your date and pay securely online
• Your chef handles sourcing, cooking, serving, and complete cleanup

That is, it. No coordination, no grocery runs, no cleanup waiting for you at the end of the evening.

Columbus deserves better than takeout

Eating well at home has never been simpler.

CookinGenie connects households looking for a personal chef in Columbus or Cincinnati who handle everything from sourcing to cleanup, so the only thing left for you to do is sit down and eat.

Book a private chef in Columbus on CookinGenie

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