ABOUT

Greetings all - I’m Marquis, chef and owner of The Homegrown Soul.

In 2016, I started a food blog to process what was going on in the world and share recipes, lifestyle tips, and reflections on faith and social issues. It quickly grew to be larger than a blog, I launched an operation providing in-house catering, weekly meal prep, and personal chef work in California. I couldn’t believe people trusted me to cook for their weddings, baby showers, and milestone birthdays. About a year later, I relocated to the Greater Atlanta Area. I spent a few years studying nutrition and providing nutrition coaching along with my other services. I’m now mostly servicing the Bay Area and Sacramento, CA.

I grew up in the kitchen, learning from family chefs and home cooks. When I was in middle school, I began hosting these elaborate Thanksgiving dinners for my friends. My first job in college was in our university center’s dining facility, I worked in the kitchen. I think I was one of the first students to be on the line. Through these experiences, I learned that food had the ability to bring people together and heal. I deeply believe that the table is important, and regularly coming together over a meal is a vital part of our lives. I also believe that its important to eat tasty, wholesome, and vibrant foods.

My style of cooking is best described as California Soul. I spend time crafting each item in the meal, opting to make components from scratch, and being mindful about what goes in the dish. I’ve learned to meet dietary needs without sacrificing flavor. My clients have described my food as: thoughtful, innovative, refined/elevated comfort, nutritious, and soulful.

In 2023, I transitioned from my HR career of over 10 years after another layoff and now I’m a personal chef full time. I specialize in custom meal prep and event catering. While I love doing meal prep most, some of my favorite engagements are Sunday dinners, family cooking classes, weekend friends’ trips, birthday dinner parties, and date nights.

Outside of the kitchen, I’m listening to music (recent playlist: nourishment), being active outside, traveling, or trying out a cool new restaurant. Contact me here!