ABOUT US
Owned and operated by Lisa and Ken McDonald, Tasteful Adventures is a catering company serving the South Shore, Cape Cod and Greater Boston area. Rooted in European and American traditions that specializes in home style cuisine, Tasteful Adventures has a broad palette with key differentiators specializing in Latin & Spanish and Midwestern / Southern flavors.
Lisa Mattei-McDonald was born and raised in Puerto Rico. Raised by an American mother and Puerto Rican father, Lisa grew up with diverse flavor profiles, from simple and delicious Puerto Rican dishes to savory meals born out of New England and western Europe. As a child and young adult, Lisa spent hours in the kitchen, learning recipes from her mom and dad’s repertoire, and helped make meals for family dinners.
Over the years, Lisa continued her culinary exploration during her travels seeking out dishes from different cultures across the US, Latin America, and Europe. In addition she is continuously inspired by cuisines in Africa, Middle East and Asia. After spending years as an award-winning producer and marketing specialist, Lisa’s love of world cuisine and culture combined with her respect for nature and sustainable living has inspired her and her husband, Ken, to pursue Tasteful Adventures.
Ken McDonald grew up on a 200 acre farm in Iowa where he learned to nurture and appreciate the value of natural, responsibly grown food. Due to allergies he spent as much time in the kitchen with his mother and sisters as he did in the field with his father. This laid the foundation of a life-long love of food and cooking. He was raised on the farm-to-table concept. After leaving the farm, Ken’s sense of adventure lead him to a degree in Broadcast Communications, a year as a fitness trainer, and 25 years of experience in IT throughout various regions of the US.
One common factor in his travels is his love for food and his interest in how it affects us both emotionally and physically. Whether it is exploring BBQ in Kansas City, Mexican food in Los Angeles and Phoenix, or boiled dinners in New England he wants to understand the flavors and techniques to embrace and celebrate the uniqueness and story behind it. Since being diagnosed with Type-II Diabetes in 2001 his need to understand how food affects us has taken on a greater significance. Understanding the difficulties of finding healthy, delicious food has lead him and his wife, Lisa, to develop Tasteful Adventures.