Using what she had learned in the kitchen from Nettie, Marianne began cooking for her new husband, Jim. Before long she was serving the most delicious meatballs to her family and friends. Over the years, Marianne became quite skilled in the kitchen. And it wasn’t just her spaghetti and meatballs that she was known for. Roast pork, pepper steak, chicken cutlets, many desserts, and a Seven Fish dinner that could rival that of any restaurant were part of her repertoire.

Through the years, Jim and Marianne’s family grew. Sunday dinners were now held in their home. Their four children went on to marry and bless Jim and Marianne with grandchildren and great-grandchildren. After 59 years of marriage, Jim and Marianne were still hosting Sunday dinner for their family which had grown to average over 30 people every week.

But it wasn’t just the meals that kept their children and 16 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren coming back to Pop and Mom-moms every week, year after year, it was also being together. Sunday memories are filled with the smell of Mom-mom’s delicious cooking, with Pop yelling “Sanctuary” every time our parents told him not to give us more candy, and the laughter and tears that we shared around the table.

As time went on, Pop retired and started helping Mom-mom cook. He became quite a chef himself. They enjoyed many days and nights together in the kitchen. They cooked the timeless recipes they had learned from Nettie and tried many new ones.

Pop passed a couple years ago, and after rolling more meatballs than anyone can count, Mom-mom has taken on more of a “supervisory” role in the kitchen; teaching and instructing her grandchildren, just as Nettie did with her all those years ago. But Mom-mom isn’t just regurgitating recipes and measurements. She is enjoying watching her children and grandchildren continue to enjoy cooking and eating as a family.

Pop and Mom-mom taught us why cooking for family, with family, is so important and why homemade is, unequivocally, always better. They have taught their family and the many friends who have eaten in their home that one of life’s greatest joys is sitting around your table, eating a home-cooked meal with those you love

Here at Chef U, we want to bring families back to the kitchen table. We want to encourage you to share a meal together and have your own version of “Sunday Dinner”. Life can get busy and meals together as a family seem almost impossible. So let us take care of the cooking. We provide homemade meals, made from scratch, with fresh ingredients. Whether you are looking to feed 100 at a graduation party or just your immediate family, Chef U has you covered. With a focus on family style meals, and our unique “Gaelic meets Garlic” style of cooking, we hope families can rediscover the joy of sharing a meal together.