OUR CHEF
Chef Marie Joe
When you envision someone who promotes the African & Afro Fusion Cuisine through food, nutrition, health and wellness. Chef Marie Joe Faye is an icon that immediately pops into the mind. A soul woman chef, she has a natural passion for creative food, fueled by her African heritage and a deep desire to develop original and innovative dishes. She specializes in ethnic and specialty food, crops and spices.
Chef Marie Joe Faye is a multi-talented woman, culinary arts and nutrition educator, research & development chef consultant, celebrity chef from farm to table, vegetarian & vegan chef, an award-winning international food editor, food justice advocate, community leader and community organizer.
Chef Marie Joe was born and raised in Dakar-Senegal, West Africa. A passion for gastronomy let her change her major from International Studies to Culinary Arts & Urban Agriculture. She learned the art of food fusion, blending Senegalese cuisine with dishes from other parts of Africa and the world. This is her signature which is a delight to the international community.
Chef Marie Joe is a household name. She is one of the top female chefs, she become a local favorite and rapidly expand her presence internationally with her unique technique of Afro fusion cuisine, knowledge of African cuisine, spices and crops. She worked as a research & development chef with Howard University ‘s Food Lab Science/Department of Nutritional Sciences to standardize Ethnic Foods to DC School Lunch Program and for the University of the District of Columbia (CAUSES-College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences) for Ethnic and Specialty Crops & Cuisine Program.
In 2006 She was featured as Chef guest at DC Central kitchen during Women’s Heritage Day in March 2006 during the Celebration of Black Heritage in February 2008. Her accomplishments included being a featured Chef Speaker for “Let’s Move” Africa Program (African Twist –Let’s Move Program) by First Lady Mrs. Michelle Obama – a program that “promotes healthy eating, solving the challenge to fight childhood obesity with a generation, so that the children born today will grow up healthier and able to pursue their dreams”. She was a speaker at the African Food Advocacy’s 57th Presidential Inauguration (President Obama) during the National Day of Service festivities: “Healthy Eating – Nutrition Workshop in Washington DC (Ward 5,7 & 8). In addition, as a speaker at Cornerstone High School for 9th to 12th grade students in Washington, DC.
Her foray into restaurant and catering business consulting came naturally and allowed Chef Marie Joe to inspire and educate establishments. Over the years she has received numerous awards, called upon frequently to offer expert advice on her culinary skills and to create highly exotic menus. She places special emphasis on combining fresh organic produce to develop healthy, yet delicious seasoned meals. She works with international restaurants and catering services including (African/Afro fusion cuisine). She performs research and development projects in the test kitchens, standardizes traditional/home cooking dishes and translates them onto scale-up operations. She also provides culinary leadership including menu planning, program execution and staff management & training.
As a Celebrity Chef, she caters to dignitaries, the Head of State, high-level clients, celebrities, individuals, and museums. She is still highly sought after for overseeing exotic menu creation. Chef Marie Joe's overall success is due to her loyal viewership, clients, fairness, and desire to contribute to efficiently portraying the beauty and uniqueness of African people and people of African descent and talents. After more than 20 years of living in the DMV area, her unique talent, creativity, originality, and multi-cultural background have made her one of the most respected and highly sought-after private entrepreneurs in the international community.
Early in her work as an advocate, she starts speaking and doing community work around issues of social justice, housing, healthcare, on healthy eating, immigration, creating bridges between Africans for Africans and people of African descent. She advocates to support farmers growing ancient and super grains like millet, teff and fonio) and for trade officials to ease trade barriers for food imports from African countries and partner with regulators to enhance the capacity of entrepreneurs to meet global standards. (AGOA- The African Growth and Opportunity Act). She worked on needs assessment to choose September the African Heritage Month. Now African Heritage Month is steadily going national.
She is a highly respected community leader and community organizer, working to improve life in the DC Metropolitan Area through her career and volunteer roles. She has also provided leadership to the African community over the years and has also received numerous awards and early in her work as a community advocate, she started speaking and doing community work around performing, visuals, arts, and issues of social justice, housing, healthcare, education, agriculture, employment opportunities, immigration, creating bridges between Africans and non-Africans.
True to her goal of empowering communities, she is engaged in community building to help make a difference and give back to society. She and her family started the Louis Diene Faye Foundation in her late Father’s Honor and to finish his life work as an historian, anthropologist, author, scholar and songwriter. www.ldffoundation.org.Chef Marie Joe is the founder of Chef Marie Joe’s Kitchen: one of LDF Foundation programs, Chef Marie Joe ‘s Kitchen partners with faith-based organizations and communities to offer free meals and cooking, nutrition, Afrobics/Afro-Caribbean Fitness dance classes. The program also provides home-delivery meals and serving nutritious meals to people who have difficulty preparing their own meals or grocery shopping, reduce isolation, and to help seniors, disabled, and people who are homebound.
We are reclaiming the traditional Cultural Cuisine. If you are looking to hear about interesting culinary experiences, look no further than Chef Marie Joe, she brings her creativity and love for food.
Chef Marie Joe's overall success is due to her loyal viewership, clients, fairness, and desire to contribute to the efficient portrayal of the beauty and uniqueness of African and people of African descent and talents. She aspires to make herself more accessible by eventually releasing her cookbook in 2025. She is the owner of “MAYE International Foods” (sauces, spices and kitchen products) and jewelry & accessories marketplace. Marie Joe currently resides in Washington DC and is available for bookings, cooking classes, speaking engagements/ appearances and personal chef consultations.