If you’ve ever watched your hollandaise sauce...

If you’ve ever watched your hollandaise sauce separate into a frightening mess moments before guests arrived, or anguished over what wine to serve with lamb shanks for your wine expert friends, help is just a phone call away. Claud Mann, a California Culinary Academy-trained chef who has worked in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sonoma County and Mexican kitchens, has assembled a group of professional Southern California chefs to create the culinary think tank, “TeleChef.” The concept is simple. Call (800) 62-CHEFS whenever you have a cooking emergency and a cheerful, calm professional chef answers the phone. When it is mutually determined that this chef can help you with your problem, the timer will be set and you will be charged for the remainder of the phone call. Every five minutes the chef will ask you if you want to continue the call. The chef can talk you through an entire recipe or fax, mail or e-mail menus, recipes or information upon request. The fee is $1.49 per minute; Visa and Mastercard are accepted. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.