Marge will tell you her passion is family and friends. But she doesn’t have to say it; that message is clear in everything she does—from her delicious comfort food to the special touches that make her décor so distinct and inviting. When you come to Marge’s house, you’re home.
Marge Felix doesn’t mind if you come into her kitchen when she’s cooking. To be honest, she might be a little disappointed if you don’t just come right on in to sit down and talk.
“I just love people,” she says with a warm smile. “I love having people around.” In fact, her dream kitchen would have plenty of space for everyone to come in and hang out—like, she says, when you go to a party and “everybody ends up in the kitchen.”
“Forget the formal dining,” she urges. “It’s all about being together in the kitchen.”
Felix may enjoy being social because that’s what she’s used to; she grew up one of 10 siblings. She remembers her mom was always cooking, and “everything was like cooking for the masses”—large trays of toast or fragrant cinnamon rolls and stock pots full of sweet, steaming hot cocoa. She says her mother’s style of cooking may have been unintentionally healthier because everything was baked in the oven and nothing was fried.
She doesn’t remember doing a lot of cooking alongside her mom as a kid. Even back then, Felix’s interest was creating beautiful presentation with thoughtful touches.
“She would let me shine her good silver for special dinners. I would shine the silverware and the platters and make place cards out of construction paper. It was fun as a little girl.”
Felix remembers that when she was in high school, she convinced her brothers to take out all the living room furniture to make room for a long holiday banquet table. She remembers that there might have been a few grumbles from the boys, but that “they enjoyed it; they really did.”
These days, although she works full-time for Hands of Mercy Everywhere, a Belleview charity that assists teen mothers, Marge Felix Events is her outlet for creativity. She designs the event décor and enjoys all events from the most creative themed kids’ parties to elegant corporate events. The holiday season is her favorite, and this year she will again design custom décor and decorate the homes of several local families for the holidays as she’s done for the past five years.
When she doesn’t have a weekend event, Felix loves cooking dinner for her family, and dishes with a simple yet complex flavor profile, like her stuffed pork loin, are among their favorites. She calls her style “comfort food with attitude” and she likes to pair hearty meats with fresh vegetables and colorful, texture-rich salads, using classic spices like whole garlic and fragrant sprigs of rosemary. Her 16-year-old son Christopher says he enjoys helping his mom with the kitchen prep work, something he also does with his father, Loring Felix, a longtime chef who now owns a meal prep and catering business. Marge Felix and her ex-husband have remained close friends, and she says he’s her go-to caterer for events.
“He makes it taste good; I make it look good,” she laughs. “That’s a nice thing we’re still able to do together.”
Friends and family are always welcome for meals at her house and she somehow effortlessly transforms everyday meals into comfortable events, explaining, “It’s all about making memories.”
For more information, visit Marge Felix Events on Facebook.
Stuffed Pork Loin
Makes 6 servings
- Boneless pork tenderloin, approximately 4 pounds
(half an average 8-pound loin) - 1/2 pound prosciutto, thinly sliced
- 1/2 pound Parmigiano-Reggiano, thinly sliced
- 2 bags fresh spinach
- 8 whole garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
- 6 sprigs fresh rosemary
- Olive oil, as needed
- Salt and pepper
- 5 feet butchers’ twine
- Optional: 5 garlic cloves cut in half, to stud the roast
Preheat oven to 350º. › Sauté spinach until tender with a little olive oil and garlic slices. Set aside. › Slice the pork loin in half lengthwise; lay halves side by side, cut side up. › Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. › Layer both sides as follows: single layer of cheese slices, prosciutto slices, sautéed spinach. › If desired, stud loin with whole garlic cloves by cutting slits in the meat with a small knife and inserting garlic cloves. › Fold one half onto the other to put the loin back together with stuffing in the middle. › Cut strips of twine and tie around roast to hold together. › Place loin in a baking pan and loosely cover with foil. › Bake for 45 minutes, removing foil halfway through. › To serve, cut off twine and slice into one-inch, thick-cut chops.
Sautéed Green Beans
- 2 bags fresh, whole green beans
- 1 small jar roasted red peppers in olive oil, finely chopped
- Olive oil, as needed
- Butter, as needed
- Garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
Sauté green beans and chopped red pepper in a little olive oil and butter. › Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. › Remove from heat and serve while still crisp.
