Meet the Chef
My name is Marie Michele Bolivar; I am from the Caribbean (Haiti). I grew up with my mom, and since I was 5 years old, she always tries to keep me by her side when she is cooking. Of course, being a 5-year-old girl, I had other interests. She used to tell me that a woman is supposed to know how to cook and that is one of the essential parts to keep a family happy. Therefore, I found myself cooking at an early age not only for me but also for everyone at home. And the more I did it the more I started to like it. So, I started to see cooking as a hobby instead of a burden. And I became the cooking girl as I was the first one to be in the kitchen wherever I went.
Who will say that this girl who used to hate being in the kitchen will become a food seller?
Oh yes, I was so good at cooking that my family encouraged me to open my own business. Where I am from, you do not need a diploma to open a business. Once you are good at doing something, everyone will come and buy your services. So, I started selling homemade food once a week and switched it for the whole weekend since everything was going very well. Now I have become a reference not only for the neighborhood but also for my workplace and for everyone that needed a caterer for their party. Unfortunately, this whole lifetime activity had to stop when I moved here to the United States where you need to be a certified chef to be able to do this kind of activity.
With all my responsibilities, it was very difficult for me to go to school. Then I received a word from God, through my Spiritual Mom Prophetess Sophia Levasseur, saying that I must go back to school and that he will provide the strength for that. Therefore, I registered at Escoffier School of Culinary Arts and completed my associate degree in Culinary Art program.
I love cooking. One of my goals is to have one of the best restaurants in the world. People used to tell me that I could hire a chef and open a restaurant. But for me I would rather be on the kitchen side instead of the management side.
Yes, customer service is important in the food industry, but my biggest satisfaction is the smile on the customer's face after they finish eating my delicious dishes.