Personal chef and public well being scholar Marie Armand prepares entrées for a personal catering occasion.
PPhoto by Charles Yartey @nii.not.niggh
Chef Marie Armand, proprietor of Zoe’s Kitchen, by no means doubted her future.
Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and raised in Croix-des-Bouquets till transferring to the U.S. at 4, Armand says she all the time knew she would develop into a chef. “I used to be all the time within the kitchen,” she recalled. “Whilst a child, I used to be sneaking away from bed in the course of the night time simply to see what my uncle was cooking.”
The culinary entrepreneur is now turning her childhood ardour right into a platform for wellness, cultural fusion, and empowerment. By means of her enterprise, Zoe’s Kitchen, Armand offers non-public eating experiences, catering, and — most notably — full-time non-public meal prep providers rooted in each vitamin and taste.
On a latest night crammed with love, meals, and some tears, Chef Marie marked the fifth anniversary of Zoe’s Kitchen with a sold-out non-public tasting dinner on the Newsroom in Lengthy Island Metropolis. The occasion, titled Mélange: A Plate Voyage — a nod to the French phrase for “combine” — celebrated tradition, taste, and the end result of years of grit, prayer, and perseverance.
“I didn’t count on greater than 40 folks,” she stated emotionally. “However to almost promote out the area — it was overwhelming. It confirmed me how many individuals actually help me. It was a blessing.”
A Dream Born in Haiti
Armand’s love for cooking began early. Impressed by her mom and grandmother, the kitchen grew to become her artistic playground. “By the point I obtained to highschool, I made certain I used to be enrolled in a culinary program,” she stated. “And even in my senior yearbook, my quote was: ‘Be careful for my restaurant.’ I’ve all the time spoken this into existence.”
She later honed her abilities in faculty, studying methods past her Haitian roots—increasing into French, Italian, Asian, and Mediterranean cuisines.
“I needed to be taught the whole lot,“ she stated. “Not simply to develop my profession, however to return and train my household too. I needed to have the ability to mix cultures and blend flavors. That’s the place the concept of mélanger got here from—it means ‘to combine‘ in French.”
Feeding the Physique and Soul
Whereas Armand’s expertise for taste units her aside, her evolving mission makes her work really transformational. Along with being a personal chef, she lately earned her bachelor’s diploma in public well being and is pursuing her grasp’s to develop into a registered dietitian.
“I need to give attention to wellness and vitamin with out sacrificing style,“ Armand defined. “I serve purchasers trying to eat higher — whether or not for well being causes or life-style adjustments — however nonetheless need that very same richness, that very same love of their meals.”
Armand now works as a full-time non-public meal prep chef, making ready personalized weekly meals for purchasers of their houses or delivering pre-cooked dishes. Her method is scientific and soulful, tailor-made to particular person dietary wants with out compromising the enjoyment of consuming.
“I’ve realized plenty of folks have been launched to sure meals within the mistaken approach,“ she stated. “Now they are saying, ‘I don’t like lamb‘ or ‘I gained’t eat greens,‘ however I’ve discovered that with the precise approach and taste, you possibly can change somebody’s entire outlook.“
Pandemic Pivot
Zoe’s Kitchen formally launched in 2020, earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic started. What may have been a devastating begin as an alternative grew to become a possibility. With eating places closed, Armand started promoting plates from her residence and delivering meals throughout the town.
“I put up a brand new menu each week, and other people positioned orders on-line. I’d drive home to deal with delivering them,“ she stated. “The pandemic gave me an opportunity to show myself and present folks what I may do.”
She juggled this whereas working a 9-to-5 job, managing a kitchen, attending faculty, and remaining energetic in her church.
“I used to be working nonstop,“ she stated. “There have been instances I needed to put my enterprise on the again burner simply to outlive. However final 12 months, I took a leap of religion, give up my job, and dedicated to Zoe’s Kitchen full-time.”
Past the Plate
Armand’s latest tasting occasion was greater than a dinner — it was a declaration. Friends have been handled to a menu that fused flavors from around the globe, showcasing her abilities whereas difficult standard Caribbean delicacies expectations.
“I didn’t need to serve the same old oxtail and mac and cheese,“ she stated. “I make that on a regular basis. I needed folks to expertise one thing completely different — one thing artistic and world.”
Even her pickiest pals have been blown away. “My finest buddy stated she doesn’t like lamb and ate all of it,“ Armand laughed. “That’s after I knew I did one thing proper.”
The Highway Forward
Armand is simply getting began with a rising shopper base, educational accolades, and a profitable five-year milestone behind her.
“It hasn’t been simple,“ she admitted. “However I stayed dedicated to my dream. I’ve prayed by way of it, labored by way of it, and sacrificed for it. This isn’t only a enterprise to me — it’s my function.”
