334 Millennium - A Marquis Who’s Who Magazine HOSPITALITY AND LEISURE First serving as administrative personnel for three decades, S.M. Rogers decided to move forward with her ultimate passion: cooking. After winning a statewide cooking competition in New Jersey in 2010, she set forth on making her dreams into a reality. Subsequently, she graduated from the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City with a diploma in culinary arts. Since 2019, she has excelled as the owner and chef of Sandi’s SoulBites, a Southerninspired soul food restaurant. Among her myriad of dishes, Ms. Rogers offers collard greens, fried chicken, candied yams, nine-cheese macaroni and cheese, salmon croquettes and potato salad. Further, she cooks fried snapper, shrimp and whiting, jerk chicken and desserts such as peach cobbler, banana pudding and cake. Ms. Rogers’ inspiration to delve into cooking soul food was derived from her childhood experience of living in a small town in Southeastern Georgia. During the summer months, she spent much time learning to purchase feed for her family’s livestock, as well as curing and storing meat during the winter. Additionally, Ms. Rogers learned how to cook, can and preserve peaches following her grandmother’s family recipe. Her cooking quickly transformed from a simple comfort food dish to cuisine that nourished others’ souls. As she grew older and built her own family, she leveraged her grandmother’s recipes, made them her own and served her delicious meals to her family. Notably, Ms. Rogers also donates a percentage of her profits at Sandi’s SoulBites to local community organizations and families in need. Her family’s nonprofit foundation, HisVision, has provided funding for families through grants to local and international organizations, as well as to such initiatives as Alive Medical Services in Uganda and WeAct in Rwanda. Locally, Ms. Rogers assists local families by offering affordable rental properties, financial assistance and school supplies throughout Morristown and Morris Township. For her success, Ms. Rogers won New Jersey’s Choice Restaurant for 2021 for Southern Soul Food and among New Jersey’s 30 Best New Restaurants. Millennium Magazine Featured Listee S.M. ROGERS CHEF, OWNER Sandi’s SoulBites Morristown, NJ
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