M.J. Dining Trend Setters

After much collaboration with a friend from culinary school, aligning of passions, and a mutual drive for feeding others, Joanne and I decided to venture into the world of exclusive, private chef-ing.

Our primary goal: to create a special event for exclusively invited guests with an impressive sit-down menu (and a few extras...amuse bouche(s), if you will). After much collaboration, wine, and incoherent scribbles, we narrowed down our first, four course menu and a few surprises for our guests:

• Marinated Shrimp Melange
• Tiered Roasted Vegetables with Herbed Goat Cheese
• Succulent Braised Pork Shank with Slow Cooked Aromatic Mustard Greens and Smooth Rutabaga Puree
• Fresh Cream Fruit Tart and Marshmallows Du Jour

The surprises and extras included a fresh cucumber foretaste, spiced toasted nuts, apple and pear chips, and an olive salad with multi grain toast points.

An *incredible* time was enjoyed with our guests! After the mild stress of food shopping, table setting, chair acquisition, and plate counting was lifted, we went forth with our creations. Favorably, we didn't miss a thing in our planning, allowing us to focus solely on actualizing our ideas, without having to make a grocery run at all! Plating, serving, and flavors were notably timed and infused resulting in incredible feedback! Our first successful event, of many more to come. Next time we'll be sure to invite a professional photographer for maximum viewing pleasure.