“For the love in my heart shall be felt through my food” -Me (Mari)

Welcome, welcome, welcome!

My name is Mari, jokingly known as MarDaddy. Philanthropic Fairy by day, and creator and owner of the weekend boutique catering company, “From Mari with Love”; and the soul that seasons, cooks, and pours love into each bite.

Yes, I do cook, and damn well, but please, don’t call me chef. Chefs are classically trained in culinary institutions; I pride myself in being ancestrally and spiritually trained in the kitchens of my youth and the homes of my adulthood. My lessons have been taught by the greats in my life -- my parents, big sister, grandmothers, aunts and uncles--  from classic cookbooks that have been passed down for decades with beat-up pages and splatters of love and trial and error on each page. I’m so excited to share tips, testimonials, recipes, and recommendations with you on this site! But even more excited to prepare healthy, and deliciously balanced meals for your convenience through my meal prep services. Oh, and if you’re in the NJ/NY area and need catering I got ya! Click this link for catering inquires.

OK…so back to me -

Born and raised in Northern New Jersey,  I have experiences of a small town girl, combined with the heart of a big city girl living less than 20 miles from the nucleus New York City. Each geographical space I’ve encountered has had a major impact on who I am, who I have been, and who I am becoming as a cultrepreur (culinary entrepreneur). My unwavering passion for food, people and community is grounded in my love for communion; the coming together and sharing laughs and cries, plans and ideas, good news and bad news alike. Just think about it... from family holiday functions, to meeting random stranger-turned-friends in hole in the wall restaurants nestled on seedy alleys, the commonality is always food. If there is one thing we can all agree on (or not), it is the mere fact that food nourishes more than just the body. It nourishes the mind, and more importantly it nourishes the soul. It makes any celebration with pesty family members worth enjoying and is guaranteed to make the worst heartbreak bearable.

 I love brunch, cursing, sour cream, sunsets, traveling, and...did I mention brunch?!  I have a mean twerk (I’m sure Cardi B would agree) and a clumsy salsa. If I had to have one meal for the rest of my life it would be a fight between shrimp and grits and pizza (accompanied by prosecco of course). I love hosting friends at my place and although I despise doing the dishes,  I require them to eat off glass dishes and have proper silverware. The aesthetic is just as important as the taste because communing is a full experience -- so know you’ll have a napkin (not tissue or paper towel #petpeeve) to match.

-From Mari, with Love