Hi, I’m Marie
I’m the lady behind Hedonist in Moderation. If you like gorgeous food that makes you feel good (of course you do!) you are in the right place.
I grew up on a small dairy farm in rural Wisconsin and became a vegetarian when I was 14. This really kicked off the desire to learn more about how to properly feed myself now that chicken was off the menu. When I was 16 I began working at my local health food store which introduced me to all manner of new ingredients like quinoa, wakame and miso (which I initially hated). I was hooked.
I’m an avid traveler and my explorations are fueled (both literally and figuratively) by the desire to find my next pantry staple and learn yet another new way to use onions.
I’m a vegetable enthusiast, a keen fermenter and a wearer of gigantic earrings.
I live in Berkeley California and work as an educator, consultant, private chef and recipe developer.
STYLE & PHILOSOPHY
I focus primarily on Californian cuisine imbued with global flavors
I’m a long time vegetarian and plan my meals and recipes around seasonal vegetables
I don’t count my calories and I don’t eat things that taste bad no matter how healthy they supposedly are. “This tastes good for me” is not a compliment in my world.
I believe that eating well and cooking well are simple and accessible to everyone
I believe that you don't need a degree in Dietetics to eat healthily (although it has certainly helped me)
I have a no-nonsense, non-dogmatic and FUN approach to food and wellbeing
Bachelors in Dietetics from the University of Wisconsin
Certified Natural Chef with honors from Bauman College
Certificate in Ayurvedic Herbology from Greens Ayurveda
I started to teach in an unlikely way. After I graduated with a B.S. in Dietetics, I decided to take a job in South Korea teaching English at a public middle school. The teacher training was limited and I was mostly on my own. So I researched how to build effective class plans. I thought back on all the effective (and ineffective) teachers I had over the years. What did they do? What did they have in common? Why is it that I am still able to recall certain lessons with such clarity?
I thought that my 4 years in Korea was a bit of a detour. After all, what did ESL have to do with food and nutrition? When I returned to the USA I moved to Berkeley California to attend Bauman College, a holistic culinary arts school. I had been doing lots of self inquiry exercises in the hopes that I would gain more clarity around what I wanted to do next. One question that turned out to be particularly important was “Who are the professionals you most admire?” I quickly wrote down Carl Sagan and Neil DeGrasse Tyson. Huh? Shouldn’t I write down James Beard or Alice Waters? No. At that time, those two men held a special place of admiration. But why? What did that mean? I most admire astrophysicists? Should I become an astrophysicist like them? I definitely knew that wasn’t happening. So again, what did it mean? I got my answer at the end of culinary arts school. For our final project we needed to pick a topic and give a 45 minute cooking demo and lecture on it. I don’t mind telling you that I nailed it. Afterwards I felt euphoric. I was leaving the school when it hit me… They are consummate educators. That’s why I respect Carl and Neil so much. It was one of those rare moments in life where you have complete clarity. My path is that of an educator.
