About the Chef

What’s for dinner?

Wish the answer was waiting in your refrigerator? How many times were you late picking up the kids because you were standing in the checkout line at your nearest grocery store? And let’s talk about rushing off the tennis court or golf course to run into town to go shopping? Or, for that matter, how many times just last week did you order pizza or cruise by the Chinese take-out?

Well, say hello to the home chef. Your answer to what’s for dinner is just a phone call away. The home chef will plan healthy nutritious meals for you and your family, do the grocery shopping, cook them all in one day and leave your kitchen smelling of homemade meals. Now, you can have your time back. What more could you ask for? All this and she’ll even let the dog out!

About the Chef

German Heritage cooking

Born in Mannheim Germany, Marianne Rybicki came to the States in the 70’. Wanting to stay only 6 months getting to know the culture and working for her Aunt Ruth Griffith, who at that time owned and managed “Little Mexico”. The influence of her Family in Germany, Marianne’s grandfather had been a Master Baker, her aunt a chef in German and Mexican cuisine.

Marianne’s food influences stem from the traditional cooking techniques of her German grandparents, who were originally from Mannheim, Germany.

Initially a self-taught cook, Marianne spent more than 25 years in her kitchen and restaurants learning the indispensable theories of an international cuisine. During this time she continued working in her restaurants and developed her desire to focus on regional heritage cooking.

She spent time travelling throughout Europe researching the distinctive, widespread, historical foods of Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Belgium, and Mexico. From 1976 to 2007 Marianne managed as well as owned 3 different restaurants. During this time her cooking became a resource for heritage food recipes. By re-introducing time tested heritage recipes to her customers, Marianne was able to evoke a sense of nostalgia and interest in many of them.

Her desire is to appear as a guest on radio and television shows promoting varied heritage cooking topics that have a desire of a great food segment.

German stereotypes are not all there is to German food.

Germany is a land full of culinary delights. Located in the middle of Western Europe, it’s at the same latitude as Newfoundland, which means the summer nights are long and inviting while wintertime is cold and snowy. The Christian calendar is a map for German social events and there is always a celebration happening somewhere, with food specialties, presents and homemade entertainment. Cozy gatherings with food and drink are the essence of German Gemuetlichkeit (comfort and coziness).

German cuisine has often been labeled as stodgy and fatty, which can be attributed to the lack of variety in the rural German countryside until the last 200 years. But Germany has benefited from a close association with Italy and France and adopted many of their spices and cooking methods, always with a German twist.

Regional Cuisine vary according to the geography (mountains, plains and seas are all represented) and their proximity to waterways, where transportation and trade historically took place.

Left over from earlier times, preservation of foodstuffs through salting, smoking, curing or pickling is still a common way of preparing fish, meats and vegetables. Just look at the popular dishes of Mates (pickled herring), Sauerbraten (roast beef cured in vinegar and wine), or Sauerkraut, and you will find ancient cooking methods still in use today.

German culture has always celebrated the many regional variations of its food and beer. The north focuses on seafood dishes, dumplings and bean soups. The center has lots of breads, fruits and vegetables. In southern Germany, sausage, dumplings, potatoes, cakes and fruit are common. A few German foods are famous all over the world for their flavor and representation of German heritage.