Holiday party season is close, and plenty of Baton Rouge hosts are already hunting for someone to handle the food. Desiderata Kitchen, the catering and meal prep company run by Executive Chef Ciara Finley, is one local name worth knowing before the calendar fills up.

From family kitchens to culinary school

Chef Finley was born in New Orleans. Her mom came from Mississippi, and she grew up on down-home recipes at home and Creole cooking from relatives who were born in the city.

She spent more than 15 years in management in the spa and hospitality industry before turning to food. In 2016 she started a small catering business, born out of the need to cook fresh, clean, allergen-free meals for her daughter, who lives with food and environmental allergies.

She went on to earn degrees in Advanced Culinary Arts and Advanced Baking and Pastry from the Louisiana Culinary Institute. She worked the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in 2017, 2018 and 2019, earning the Masters Culinary Team chef's coat. She is a Certified Culinarian and Certified Pastry Culinarian through the American Culinary Federation, and Louisiana Cookin' named her one of its 2023 Chefs to Watch.

A name with a story

The company's name comes from Desiderata, the 1920s prose poem by Max Ehrmann. Chef Finley found it in her brother's backpack after his sudden death and felt it mirrored the way he lived. The word means things that are desired or essential.

What DK does

Desiderata Kitchen offers full-service catering for weddings, corporate events, galas, fundraisers and big celebrations of 100 to 500-plus guests, along with select intimate events and private dining. It also runs a weekly meal prep service. Chef Finley's focus is on fresh, minimally processed ingredients.

The kitchen also hosts A Love Letter to Black Food, a dinner series built around the history of Black cuisine. Come Carnival season, watch for its savory and sweet king cakes.

To book an event or check weekly menus, visit desideratakitchen.com or follow DK on Facebook.

Photo courtesy of Desiderata Kitchen.