It was a very ordinary morning in Belarus. The phone rang; it was a potential client.
“Good afternoon, Marina,” a kind woman's voice said. “I would like to hire a personal chef near me who understands gourmet Italian dishes. The
task is to prepare three evening dinners for a guest from Italy. We'll discuss
all the details at the meeting tonight. Are you interested?”
I got excited and agreed to meet. I have already prepared small Italian wedding catering, this task must be easy. Two hours later, I was meeting with my potential client. Still, I couldn't imagine working as an undercover chef and hiding from people who would eat the food I prepared.
An elegantly dressed lady came to the meeting.
“Marina, of course, you've heard the expression that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Especially if he's Italian, it's an easy way to a wedding. The problem is that my successful daughter Anastasia in her 35, absolutely can't cook but wants to get married.”
She took a deep breath and continued, “Her beloved is coming to visit us next week. It is their first meeting in Belarus, and I want everything to go at the highest level. Your task is to prepare three dinners - Italian, Belarusian cuisine, and a romantic dinner. But so that no one knows about you. According to the legend, Anastasia cooks all the dishes. Are you taking this job?”
I was a little surprised, but how could I refuse these people with such good intentions? It won't just be a dinner but a whole mission. As personal chef for dinner party I wanted to help people find their happiness through food 👩🍳.
The mother of the bride decided everything. She discussed the menu with me and the cost of a private chef for dinner. The first night, I stood under the house with bags and waited for a message to come in. While I was conjuring in the kitchen, Anastasia was introducing the country to her fiancé. They visited museums, and historic sites, contemplating the architecture.
The house impressed me with its antiques, antique services, and silverware from the time of Peter the Great. All polished to such a shine that you could see your reflection. For dinner, all the finest were obtained. All the things that Europeans are very fond of: are art, architecture, and rare items. Even as gifts, he brought vintage things with centuries of history (old wine goblets and vases from the Victorian era).
Once I met the father of the family. He turned out to be an ordinary man who wouldn't refuse to have a drink on occasion or without it. Anastasia, the landlady, always had a lot of different beverages in her bar. The drinks were brought from different countries. That's how our meeting with the father happened. He drank 150 grams of Cuban Rum and offered it to me, but I refused because I don't drink alcohol.
- "You didn't see anything" - he told me and winked with his left eye.
- "Of course," - I replied, smiling.
But the main characters and residents of this apartment were four-legged furry cats. I can't even tell you exactly how many there were, five or six. I never managed to count them because as soon as I put on my chef's jacket and chef's hat, they scattered.
Each cat had its own name, which they got from its type of character. For example, Bullet was a cat that ran around the apartment at the speed of a bullet, Fatty the white cat likes to eat. He was always in the kitchen with me, and when I cut meat, he would start begging, howling his cat songs.
It's essential not only to make a dish taste good but also to serve it nicely. When I was finished cooking, I wrote notes about the history and features of the dishes and recommendations for serving them. I left the notes in a locker, on the back, in a prearranged place. And so, three dinners went.
The secret mission was successful; we had another meeting a year later. It was a private chef dinner for two for a pre-New Year's, Anastasia was pregnant, and now they had a baby. It's a beautiful story when delicious food, cooked with love, gives people positive emotions, love, and new life.
