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!