Amy specializes in classic dishes for her own prepared takeaway meals, offering comfort foods to carry you through winter.
Chef Amy Chamberlain with a sheet pan of roasted vegetables destined for chili. Photo: David Barnum
When it comes to cooking hearty winter fare, Chef Amy Chamberlain knows a thing or two. The Manchester native graduated from New England Culinary Institute and worked in restaurants in Maine and Colorado before returning home in 1996 to open The Perfect Wife. As chef/owner, Amy ran this fine dining restaurant and popular tavern for 22 years. She appeared on The Food Network five times and was named Vermont Chef of the Year in 2010.
After closing “The Wife” in 2018, Amy and a business partner converted a shiny Airstream trailer into a mobile kitchen, aptly named Amy’s on the Road, where they served a healthy and diverse menu. The business partner retired in 2024, and Amy now finds herself happily cooking in a commercial space in Manchester where she produces takeaway meals customers can order online. She also runs a thriving catering business, orchestrates events and pop-up dinners, and offers private chef services.
“My sweet spot is catering small parties at people’s homes for 10 to 15 guests. It’s fun for me to meet with the host, listen to their interests and considerations, and then plan a menu. I take the same approach when I work as a private chef, focusing on dishes the family enjoys. I do most of the prep in my commercial kitchen to keep the client’s home quiet and organized, then I show up with all the meal elements ready to pull together, finish the preparation, and serve at their home.”
Healthy, seasonal ingredients form the basis of her meals. “Because I’ve been cooking in Vermont for so many years, I know what’s in season so that makes it easy to plan menus well in advance.” The talented chef blends those ingredients with appropriate spices to create dishes—stir-fry, curries, tagines—that brighten winter.
“I love poring over cookbooks for inspiration,” she says. “Yotam Ottolenghi, Ina Garten, the pastry chef Nick Malgieiri, and the science behind Christopher Kimball’s approach.” She not only treasures but still uses her mom’s now-tattered Julia Child cookbooks, the pages barely held together by the binding. “That’s where I learned to make proper coq au vin, blanquette de veau, and cassoulet. Nothing is easy; the recipes have a zillion steps, but it’s a perfect way to spend a winter day.” Another favorite is Culinary Artistry by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page. “The book is organized by regions, ingredients, and flavor profiles to inspire one in the kitchen, guide us, or maybe just give us a little nudge in the right direction! You can plan a dish based on ingredients you already have, or if you’re feeling hungry for Morocco, you can flip through that section and find inspiration.”
Amy specializes in classic dishes for her own prepared takeaway meals, offering comfort foods to carry you through winter. Hearty lasagnas, beef bourguignon, vegetable or meat pot pies, various chilis, jambalaya, rich stews, and nourishing soups. “I change the menu weekly; people order through the website and stop by the kitchen to pick up later in the week.” The meals are frozen and ready to pop in the oven or warm on the stovetop. The no-fuss but delicious meals are a perfect solution for busy families, a weekend of house guests, or when wondering what to serve after an invigorating day playing in the snow. They’re also thoughtful gifts for friends who might need a little love.
We invited this dynamic chef to share favorite winter recipes with us, and she chose two of her most popular meals from her vast repertoire: Chicken Pot Pie and Roasted Veggie Chili. “The chili is very forgiving and easy to make, especially if you roast an extra sheet pan of veggies ahead of time and have basic pantry staples on hand. For the pot pie, you can spend a winter weekend making the crust from scratch and roasting a chicken or just buy a rotisserie chicken and pick up a store-bought crust. Pot pie should be delicious and doesn’t need to take all day, unless you want to make it a project!”
As Julia Child would say at the conclusion of “The French Chef” show on public television, “Bon appétit!” And cheers to cozy winter home cooking!
