I present to you Juli & Juan. A pair of talented private chefs I discovered through social media. Incredible but true! After finding them by pure chance on Facebook, soon I was logging on to juliyjuan.com. Juli and Juan, are two incredible and determined chefs who put on a gastronomical tour that spans from Playa del Carmen, Mexico to Iowa. A tour with the sole purpose of sharing not only their culinary passion, but also their passion for life through cooking.

After finding out that Houston was on their list, I had to meet them and plan a dinner so I could share this discovery with my friends. So I called them up and set a date for my very own Tertulia in Houston.

Let me tell you that it’s been a long time since I’ve heard the word Tertulia. And never before have I heard it used for a proposal describing a gastronomic experience. So when I read that was the plan Juli & Juan had in mind for the event, I realized that this dinner was going to be a whole new experience.

Juli and Juan are a fusion between Colombia and Mexico that transmits the perfect combination between formal and experienced along with a casual and fun manner. Perfect to make your event a fun and original culinary experience.

They bring all the ingredients to your house and create a gathering where you get to dine and participate in making the food. You literally get your hands dirty and form an unforgettable experience with every ingredient. And at the end, you get to enjoy your delicious creations.

To make your mouth water, here I share the menu prepared by all the invitees:

Lean Beef Carpaccio with olive oil and lemon juice, served with a green leave salad, black olives, celery and thin slices of Parmesan cheese.

Seared scallops, drizzled with a white wine, ginger and butter sauce with a rain of cilantro and lemon zest

Beef medallions served with a red wine reduction of Dijon mustard and shallots accompanied by mashed potatoes

A semi dark chocolate Soufflé

I couldn’t remember the meaning of “Tertulia,” so I used a dictionary to jog my memory. Turns out that it comes from Spain, meaning: an informal and periodic social gathering of people interested in a common topic where they share ideas and opinions.

This definition, is the exact description of my incomparable group of Houston friends, so without a doubt, I had to share this innovative experience with my Houston "Family".

I say family without exaggeration. I’ve been lucky to meet them little by little since arriving in Houston in 2003. I’m thankful for having this group of friends. They are the reason why I’ve been able to live outside of my country for so long. They have become my family and each of them brings knowledge, values and fun that enrich not only my existence but also my kid’s.

So, you can imagine what happened when this group of friends along with Juli and Juan got together. We created an explosion of good vibes, pure fun and I confirmed that the purpose of this forum yomariana.com is to share new discoveries and experiences with my friends and readers.

Infinite thanks to all my friends for venturing with me in this amazing experience. Especially to our hosts and to the new members of our family, Juli and Juan, we’ll be waiting right here for your return and wish you the best of luck with the rest of the tour.

So, if you're looking to organize an original, fun and delicious evening without leaving home, Yo Mariana truly recommend you contacting them.

I promise to keep searching for interesting concepts to share with you all!

This is the map of the “Share the Love” gastronomic tour of chefs Juli and Juan. You can contact them directly through social media @juliyjuan or directly at juliyjuan.com

A very important part of Juli & Juan's team is John Edward Hunt. A writer, world traveler and cinematographer, in charge of making and editing all the videos they have in their website. These fun and engaging videos are key to transmit the true personalities of this amazing chefs. His website is wandrlustr.com and you can find him in social media as @johnmarooo.

The idea of making a road trip started little by little. It was not structured and planned since the beginning; it was slowly being built while the pieces were added to the puzzle of what is now this adventure on wheels- one that will be filled with flavours, smiles and satisfying meals amongst friends and family.

They’ll be in back in Houston and Mexico soon. Be sure to contact them for your next event.

Write: yomarianablog@yahoo.com

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