Imagine coming home after a long day to find the kitchen cleaned up, the cabinets organized and the pantry restocked. And it gets better: There's a healthy dinner waiting in the freezer.

Andrew Cook is the man who makes that fantasy come true for harried homeowners in the Chastain Park area. The Buckhead chef shows up in your kitchen, fixes several meals, cleans up and does a little reorganizing at the same time. He'll also toss out those ancient canned goods in the pantry and the mystery-meat packages in the freezer.

For more than a year, Cook has been catering to clients who want to eat healthier but don't have the time or inclination to shop and cook for themselves. For Cook, a retired restaurauteur, the one-on-one catering has provided a way to keep busy in the kitchen.

"I started doing it for friends and family and it just snowballed," said Cook, 55. "But it's been a great segue from being in a commercial kitchen to having the pleasure of fixing creative food."

Cook grew up in Atlanta and worked in restaurants including Anthony's in Buckhead and Pittypat's Porch downtown. He went to culinary school in Paris, and spent some time in Idaho before heading to Charleston. Sixteen months ago, he returned and after much prodding by friends, started cooking on a small scale.

Cook starts by finding out the basic likes and dislikes of his clients, then works up menus using ingredients in their kitchens or shopping for new ones. The meals he prepares are frozen in portions that can be easily thawed for a quick dinner. He also brings in healthy snacks and foods for his clients.

"If they say they hate garlic and kiwi, I add that to their profile," said Cook. "I can either work within their parameters, or some people just say, 'Surprise me.' And as time goes on, I'll gradually organize the drawers and cabinets until the whole kitchen is functional.

"It's so funny to see the amount of nonsense that people have in their kitchen. At one client's house, it took three big trash cans to haul away all the expired stuff, like a jar of tomato juice from the '90s that was so brown, I thought it was prune juice."

For some of his clients, being in the kitchen and watching Cook work is part of the fun of having a personal chef. "It's like a one-on-one class," he said. "I have some houses I go to after 6 [p.m.] so they can watch and eat as I make it."

Cook charges $50 an hour, and clients pay for the groceries —- a cost many consider cheaper than doing it themselves. As an added bonus, some have lost weight by sticking to Cook's meals.

"Ninety percent of what I do is healthy cooking, using more olive oil and fresh herbs and organic whenever possible," Cook said. "But each kitchen and each client is totally different. It's the same idea that 'Iron Chef' is based on —- here's your kitchen and here are your ingredients. Now make dinner."

GRILLED CHICKEN SALAD

A family recipe from Buckhead chef Andrew Cook.

1 cup cooked and drained dried black-eyed peas

1/2 cup cooked orzo

2 slices crisp cooked bacon, crumbled

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion

1/2 tablespoon finely chopped jalapenos

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon McCormick Montreal chicken seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Dash of Tabasco (optional)

2 chicken breasts, grilled, sliced

Dale's Reduced Sodium Blend steak sauce

Baby greens, 4 cups

Balsamic vinaigrette

Berries, fresh, any kind

Cherry tomatoes

Cucumbers, sliced on the bias

Sprig cilantro

Combine the black-eyed peas, orzo, bacon, reserved bacon fat and all the remaining ingredients in a large bowl; toss well to combine. Cover and refrigerate at least four hours or preferably overnight, stirring occasionally.

Grill two chicken breasts, basted with steak sauce, and slice thinly. On a bed of baby greens tossed with a hint of balsamic vinaigrette, place 1 cup of black-eyed pea mixture topped with the chicken. Garnish with fresh berries, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and a sprig of cilantro.

Four things you didn't know ... about Andrew Cook

1. His favorite workout: a two-hour walk, four days a week.

2. His favorite sport is fishing.

3. He is a graduate of Marist High School.

4. He gets a lot of ribbing about his name, Cook. "I've always wondered where I'd be if my last name had been plumber," he said.