Chef trades in laptop for stovetop

Many people dream of giving up unfulfilling jobs and launching their own businesses. Chef Jeff Schiestel did it.

A year and a half ago, the Schaumburg resident left his computer management career and launched Jeff Can Cook? Catering, a full-service catering company that serves all kinds of parties, from small home dinner parties to large weddings.

Schiestel, 42, lives in Schaumburg with his wife, wife Delaine, a teacher at Immanuel Lutheran School in Palatine, and their sons, Matt and Chris, both students at Schaumburg High School.

What led you to become a chef? For the first 18 years of my career, I was in the computer field, working on large-scale data management systems. Like most people do, I got promoted to my level of incompetence. I wasn't hands-on anymore.

Ever since I got out of college, I cooked for myself. When my wife and I got married, the rule was that first one home had to cook. When I started commuting on the train, I was never home first, so my wife said, "I am going to make the weekend your cooking time." I started out doing something normal, burgers on the grill and that sort of thing, but then I got to the point where I really started looking forward to it. I started preparing four- or five-course meals. It got so I'd start planning the meals on Monday.

In 2002, I started taking classes at the culinary school at Harper College. I took a handful of classes, but wasn't really learning anything new. So, I started freelancing with the chef that was teaching the classes, chef Dave Miller who owns Chef by Request in Lisle. I did that for a number of years. I also started taking on small catering gigs, working entirely out of my house.

As the events got bigger and more frequent, my day job started getting in the way of my "night" job. So, in January 2007, I left the computer field and started Jeff Can Cook? Catering full-time and here I am. I'm not classically trained, but I haven't had any complaints.

How did your family feel about the change? My wife was very supportive because she saw my mood and my attitude about my other job. My kids are extremely happy because of they leftovers ­- and they end up being guinea pigs for my new dishes. My older son, I bring him in to help in the kitchen. He likes to cook.

Business is good? It's going fine. Catering is a very seasonal business, so now we're busy with backyard barbecues and weddings. In January and February, things are slow.

When I meet former colleagues and they ask me if I miss my old job, I say, "Only two days a month, the first and the 15th. Other than that, not at all."

Why catering instead of, say, a restaurant? A lot of it had to do with the idea of having a single event to work on, knowing that it's all very neatly book ended. In the computer industry, I worked on large projects that went on for years. It was very virtual and never finished. In catering, you have a definite date.

A restaurant doesn't appeal to me. You cook the same food over and over again every day. I really enjoy being very flexible and customizing the food to the occasion. If I had a restaurant, I'd have to pick one theme.

Have you found anything surprising about the catering business? There are surprises just in becoming a small-business owner. I'm not doing nearly as much cooking as I expected. Twenty percent is cooking. The rest is sales, marketing, payroll, etc.

It also surprised me - coming out of the computer field - is how far behind the foodservice business is technologically. To do my food orders, I have to write them out on paper and fax them.

Anything else? I do a lot of catering in more affluent neighborhoods. Sometimes you open the oven and you still see the instruction manual sitting on the rack. I've learned not to just turn the oven on.

What's your biggest challenge? Educating customers about just what the cost of food is. Everything's going up. I quote a price and people compare it to what it costs at the store. I say, "What would you pay for that at a restaurant?" My biggest competitors are the big club stores, like Sam's Club and Costco. You can save money by doing it yourself, but then you can't enjoy your guests and your event.

Eighty percent of my business is in private homes. People often haven't used a caterer before, and they don't realize that we do it all and clean up afterward.

But I heard recently that the average cost of a hotel wedding is $89 a plate. I can put on a really nice meal for much less and help you find an economical site to rent. That's some of the knowledge I bring. I have contacts with rental agencies for tables and chairs and linens. I try to be kind of a one-stop shop.

What do you do in your spare time? Mostly spend a lot of time at home with the family. I still enjoy cooking at home.

So what happened to the "first one home cooks" plan? Unfortunately, my catering kitchen is three blocks from my house, so I'm always the first one home. But it's no problem, I just cook a little extra.

Who would you most like to cook for? Famous chefs like Alton Brown, Anthony Bourdain, Rick Bayless. My brother has told me I've ruined his ability to enjoy a steak in a restaurant because I've cooked steak for him. I'd love to have feedback like that from somebody well-known.

Tell us about this recipe. Margarita tilapia en papillote. It's simple to make at home. Serve with a rice pilaf and whatever vegetables are in season.

Try this at home or order from Jeff Can Cook? Catering, 909 W. Wise Road, Schaumburg. (847) 301-2411 or jeffcancook.com.

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Margarita Tilapia en Papillote

½ cup tequila

1 red onion, sliced in thin rounds

4 tilapia fillets (6 ounces each)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 lime, thinly sliced

1 large round tomato, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded, minced

½ cup packed cilantro leaves

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small saucepan, bring the tequila to a boil. Immediately remove from heat and let cool. (This step boils off the alcohol, which would impart a bitter flavor to the fish.)

Cut parchment paper into four rectangles about 8-by-12-inches. Fold in half, then open up and place on a flat surface so that the fold is parallel to you.

Place a few rounds of red onions on the parchment, just below the fold. Set the fish on top of the onions. Season with salt and pepper.

Next, top the fish with 2 slices of lime, a small handful of diced tomatoes, and a pinch of jalapeno. Top with chopped cilantro, then drizzle with a splash of the cooled tequila.

Fold the paper over the fish. Starting at the fold, crimp over the open edges of the parchment, letting each crimp overlap the previous crimp. When you are all the way around, the parchment should be sealed. Fold the last crimp under the packet. Repeat for the remaining packets. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

Serve the packets directly on a plate, letting your guests tear open their own packets.

Serves four.

Jeff Schiestel, Jeff Can Cook? Catering Inc., Schaumburg