Chef Mariah F

For Mariah, food has always been about more than what’s on the plate. It’s about connection, discovery, and the joy of sharing something meaningful with others. One of her favorite parts of cooking is introducing people to new foods or familiar dishes prepared in unexpected ways, especially when she gets to watch someone fall in love with something they once thought they didn’t like. For her, there’s nothing more rewarding than changing someone’s perspective, one bite at a time.

Born in Texas, Mariah likes to say she grew up everywhere and nowhere. With both of her parents serving in the Army, moving and traveling every few years was simply a way of life. While she may not have one hometown to call her own, she found a sense of home wherever there was a kitchen and a table full of family. Some of her earliest food memories come from watching the women in her life cook and gathering with loved ones around meals. Those experiences helped shape her love for food and the belief that some of life’s best moments happen when people come together to eat.

Her culinary heart belongs to bread, pasta, and Asian cuisine, but some of her most cherished food memories are rooted in family traditions. Take her mom’s Thanksgiving turkey, for example: seasoned and injected the night before, then deep-fried the next morning to golden, juicy perfection. It’s a method she still swears by, and she has yet to find a turkey that measures up. It’s a perfect example of what she loves about cooking—learning from the people who came before her, carrying traditions forward, and creating dishes that people remember long after the plates are cleared.

Her passion for food has also taken her across the ocean. One of her standout culinary experiences was an eight-day internship in Italy, where she stayed at a farm, winery, and cooking school while exploring the country’s historic sites. The program was led by an Italian chef who has cooked for the White House, making the experience all the more memorable. Italy left quite an impression on her, and if you ask where she’d love to travel next, her answer is simple: Italy. And then Italy again. Some places just call you back.

When Mariah is in the kitchen, it’s not just the finished dish that makes her happy—it’s everything leading up to it. Her favorite part of cooking is the smell, especially the unmistakable aroma of garlic and onions sizzling away in a pan. In fact, she loves it so much that she jokes she could turn it into a candle. For her, those familiar kitchen aromas are comforting, inviting, and practically impossible to resist.

Outside the kitchen, she’s happiest getting outdoors and soaking up everything nature has to offer. Whether she’s hiking, camping, kayaking, enjoying a picnic, or rolling out her yoga mat, she loves finding ways to stay active and connected to the world around her. At home, she shares her life with two beloved four-legged companions: Bella, her perfect girl who has been by her side since she was just six weeks old and will turn 11 in November, and King, a recently adopted pit bull who has joined the family.

She also likes to think she can sing, so don’t be surprised if a little music makes its way into the mix. And as far as cooking for famous people goes, she has a philosophy that keeps things wonderfully grounded: everyone she cooks for is a celebrity in her heart. Because at the end of the day, making someone feel special doesn't require a red carpet or a famous name—just a little thought, a lot of love, and something delicious on the plate.

Mariah's outlook on life is just as warm and intentional as her approach to food. She believes in dreaming big, trusting the process, and putting positive energy toward the things she hopes to accomplish. Her personal mantra says it all: “Put it in the universe.” Whether she’s mastering a new dish, planning her next Italian adventure, or simply sharing a meal with the people she loves, she brings an open heart, a spirit of curiosity, and a little bit of manifestation to everything she does.