Episode Details

What does a private chef cook when she’s tired, her family needs dinner, and nobody wants leftovers? Something simpler than you might think.

Hamptons private chef Robyn Henderson joins Catherine Smart to talk about cooking delicious food without making every meal a production. From sheet-pan dinners at home to family-style spreads for clients, Robyn shares why seasonal ingredients, simple menus, and less fuss can make for better meals—and why a quick salad once stole the show from her painstakingly handmade lobster ravioli.

Catherine and Robyn also get candid about the business of feeding people: raising your rates, knowing your worth, and learning to trust other chefs with your reputation. Plus, Robyn shares a local’s view of the Hamptons, the farm stands she loves, and the homemade herb salts that became a sellout side business.

In this episode:
• Simple family dinners with fewer dishes and less cleanup
• Why more effort doesn’t always mean better food
• Cooking with peak-season produce and fresh herbs
• Pricing your work and growing a private chef business
• The year-round community behind the Hamptons’ summer image
• Keeping your cool when things go wrong in the kitchen

Get Robyn’s Hamptons farm-stand list and more from Not From Concentrate in Catherine’s newsletter: https://catherinesmart.substack.com

Want more behind-the-scenes private chef stories? Listen to Catherine’s episode with culinary producer and private chef Claire Langan.

Not From Concentrate is produced by Catherine Smart, with audio and video editing by Kevin O’Connell and Asia Garcia. Our associate producer is Allie Miller, and our theme music is by Kylie Dailey