Doug & Melissa Stiles

I received a call from Doug Stiles over a month ago. He wanted to surprise his wife, Melissa, by having me cook an intimate dinner to celebrate their second anniversary. Doug found me through the internet and was interested to see what I can do to make their anniversary special. I met with Doug, discussed their taste in food and had him describe what he envisioned on eating on their anniversary. With the information he provided me, I came up with a menu customized to their taste. The date was set and I took care of everything else.

Doug had a special day planned for their anniversary. Before my arrival, he had hired a masseuse to come to their home to give Melissa a relaxing massage before dinner. Melissa was pleasantly surprised by both the masseuse and myself. She was thrilled to be pampered and felt very special.

While Melissa and Doug got ready for dinner, I went ahead and started cooking their special meal. First course was Avocado Tempura; delectable bite size fried morsels of avocado fritters.

Next came Vegetable and Salad Greens with Mixed Herbed Vinaigrette. Melissa loves seafood and Doug prefers meat. They both love a variety of cuisines. Therefore to please both of them I created a surf and turf dish of Lobster Roasted in Parchment and Pan-seared Beef Tenderloin served with Charmoula sauce. Charmoula originates from North Africa which consist of fresh herbs, garlic, lemon, onions, cumin and other warm spices. Charmoula is great on seafood and meat and the surf and turf went very well with the sauce. To accompany the seafood and meat, Sour Cream and Horseradish Mashed Potatoes and Sauteed Garlic Spinach were served as the sides.

To end the meal, Doug requested that I made Creme Brulee as that was their favorite dessert. I prepared Lemon Creme Brulee with Fresh Berries for a refreshing end to the meal.

Both Doug and Melissa were pleased at the outcome of their dinner. My goal was to make their day special with the meal I prepared and to take care of everything else. All they have to do is sit back, relax, enjoy the meal and each other’s company. I think I had achieved that.

Here is Doug’s comment on my service:

“I am very happy to have found you and your services.  The quality and presentation of the food parallels that of very high-end restaurants, but your charming personality really set the mood for our anniversary.  I couldn’t have planned it any better; I showed you the way to our kitchen and sat back to watch the magic.  I could focus all my attention on my wife all while not lifting a single finger to prepare dinner.  Chef Mei is a talented professional that is a must have for special occasions.”