Chef Mark’s Kitchen hand crafted artisan finishing sauces, seasoning blends and instant sauce mixes are made by one of Kansas City’s most respected chefs, Mark Alan Mollentine.

Chef Mark Alan Mollentine’s interest in cooking started early. He grew up around food. Their yard was graced with fruit trees, berry bushes and always had a small garden with vegetables and herbs. Everything was always hand-made. The food was simple, but extraordinary.

Chef Mark attended culinary school in Dallas, Texas. As a culinary student he was selected by the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) as “Outstanding Student” and was invited to the annual conference in San Antonio where he assisted Ms. Julia Child with her activities, including book signings and prepping for a TV Show.

His first professional “chef job” was as an apprentice at a small, private school. One day, this tiny blond girl of 6 or 7 tugged on his pant leg and when he bent down to her she whispered, “Please don’t tell my mom, but I like your food better than hers.”

Once back home in Kansas City, Chef Mark’s experience here has included eight years as a culinary instructor; banquet chef for Hallmark Cards’ family namesake country club, Hallbrook C.C.; executive chef of the prestigious Wynbrick Country Inn in Liberty, MO.,he has also owned a prominent catering business and the historic Governor’s Meeting House Restaurant in Shawnee, KS.

He is currently the private corporate chef for Gear For Sports, a Kansas City-based international corporation; chef for Good Natured Family Farms local-food alliance and he writes a food column “The Chef’s Table” for a Kansas City food magazine. Recently, he helped create the KC Food Artisans association.

He has cooked for major celebrities, renowned political figures, top corporation executives and prestigious university chancellors. He was the chef/caterer for the movie “Ride with The Devil”, where he was chosen to personally chef for the movie’s top talent, Ang Lee, Jewell, Toby Maguire, Skeet Ulrich and others. His own “screen credits” include over 20 live-television cooking segments, a DVD highlighting local holiday foods, appetizers & cooking techniques, and hundreds of private and public “chef cooking demonstrations.”

Proudly, for the past six years, He has been associated with the Kansas City Buy Fresh / Buy Local program, helping to create a better consumer understanding of local, farm-fresh foods. In connection with this venture, he launched his own line of artisan-crafted, All-Natural Sauces, Hand-Selected Seasoning Blends and Instant Sauce Mixes, under the name “Chef Mark Alan.”

The finishing sauces, seasoning blends and sauce mixes are an easy and wonderful way to add flavor to a variety of dishes. They come in some great flavors like roasted red pepper aioli, apricot dijon glaze, lemon rotisserie and sweet and smokey BBQ just to name a few.

Chef Mark’s products are available on-line at www.ChefMarksKitchen.com, at all area Hen House Markets, select Price Choppers and other local retailers. A complete list of all of his products, where to buy them and over 70 recipes are on Chef Mark’s website.

And as always, if you have a great food find in KC you think I am missing Email me

In Good Taste,
Sharm