Marilee’s a caterer and teacher serving meals from the house she grew up in
Get to know Marilee in this Q&A, and get her šæTandoori Spiced Chicken Thighs with Fragrant Coconut Lime Basmati Rice, Friday (11/20) from 5:30-8PM on Shmeal!
Q: What can you tell us about the dish you’re making and what inspired it?
Marilee: My first Shmeal meal will be Tandoori Spiced Buttery Chicken with Coconut Lime Basmati Rice. While working at a small gourmet kitchen supply store in Spokane, I was given the opportunity to teach a multicooker class. These were the first two recipes I developed for the class. The third recipe I developed was a cheesecake. The classes were so popular, I was able to add more recipes and more classes.
Q:Ā What’s your cooking background?
Marilee: Iām a self-taught, home cook who learned out of necessity. I love food. I need to eat. But also, I love to feed people freshly prepared food. I love to eat good, fresh food, prepared with quality, simple ingredients. I rely heavily on fresh herbs, spices, vinegars, and rubs.
Q: What’s your favorite food memory?
Marilee: Iāve had so many memorable restaurant meals in the US, Mexico, Italy, Greece, Spain, Thailand and Cuba. Iāve cooked memorable meals for my family. Perhaps the most memorable meal I cooked was for a friendās 95th birthday, she is a holocaust survivor, and there were 100 guests. Yes, that one ranks high in my memory. I made roasted salmon with a green goddess dressing served on a bed of basmati with wilted lemon and caper spinach.
Q: Where’d you grow up? What kind of food did you grow up with?
Marilee: Iām a native Chicagoan, and grew up in the same house that my husband and I are currently living in. We spent some time living in New Mexico, and seven plus years in Washington state. Now weāre back in Chicago to stay! Iād say a lot of my food is influenced by my Jewish roots. My stuffed cabbage with sauerkraut, served on wide egg noodles is a very Eastern European influenced dish, that Iāve lightened up to meet our healthy standards. That may be my second Shmeal meal!
Get Marilee’s šæTandoori Spiced Chicken Thighs with Fragrant Coconut Lime Basmati Rice, FRIDAY (11/20) from 5:30-8PM on Shmeal!
