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About Mary
Mary is a food entrepreneur, author and award-winning philanthropist with a passion for bringing family & friends together around the table. She is the founder of Mary's Delishes LLC, a Chicago based culinary media, publishing, and kitchenware company that includes a robust recipe blog, YouTube channel, cookbooks, and signature kitchenware for the home cook.
Mary has been featured on ABC7 News, NBC5 Chicago Morning News, and WGN9 Chicago. She has hosted talks and book signings at the National Latino Education Institute, William Sonoma, Saks Fifth Avenue, and MCA Store. Prior to starting Mary's Delishes LLC, Mary was a recognized doctor and owner of the Disomma Foot and Ankle Clinic with a passion for supporting athletes and children. Mary donates 100% of proceeds from her books to local Chicago children's charities.
I want to encourage you to feel confident to try new things in the kitchen and to be inspired to share more meals with friends and family.
The Mary's Delishes Story
I've been baking in some form or another ever since I was big enough to wield a rolling pin. I was adopted by a big, loving Italian family when I was three-weeks old. Between my mother, grandmothers, and aunts, I was forever surrounded by dedicated bakers whipping up batches of delectable treats for every holiday; or as a way to pass on their multi-generational Italian-American baking knowhow.
Each time I bake it brings back all those cherished, flour-covered days learning the ropes from beloved family members. When I got married and started a family of my own, I initially focused my energy on baking the perfect cake. (Oh, and raising four kids.) I eventually managed to develop a respectable repertoire of cakes, then a random day in 2019, I went on a quest to create the perfect biscotti. It rekindled my interest in baking cookies and sparked a passion that burns fiercely to this day.
Over the years, I've passed in and out of many cooking obsessions, but that initial biscotti quest really kicked my baking journey into full gear. I began by reading a bunch of recipes to get a sense of the basics, but it wasn't long before I was experimenting and trying to create a wide range of varieties with my own twist.
Between these new creations and my family's formidable trove of cookie treasures, I went from creating a simple gift box with a dozen different cookies in it, to a tower of three tins containing a total of forty different types of cookies, for a grand total of around 5,000 cookies! Which how I got named the "Cookie Queen" of Chicago.
Every time I leaf through the family cookie recipes, I'm reminded of so many treasured people, places, and occasions that fill my heart with gratitude. What began as an effort to preserve the family cache of recipes and stories, turned into my daughters and friends to urging me to publish my own cookbook. My first cookbook, "A Gift of Cookies: Recipes to Share with Family & Friends", came out in January of 2020, and it blossomed into Mary's Delishes, LLC., which includes this recipe blog, a YouTube channel, a second cookbook, "My Life in Pies: Sweet and Savory Recipes Inspired by Family & Friends!", and a kitchenware line!
Outside of the kitchen, I am passionate about volunteering and philanthropy. I am proud to bring you, the Mary's Delishes community, into my work by donating 100% of proceeds from all of my cookbook sales to local Chicago children's charities.
So, when I am asked how my Mary's Delishes journey got started, I like to say, you can blame it on the biscotti.
100% of Proceeds Donated
Over six years, sales of "A Gift of Cookies" and "My Life in Pies" have gone towards supporting children's programs.
120+ Years of Service
Oak Park River Forest Infant Welfare Society and Hephzibah Children’s Association have proven track record of service.
3,000+ Children Reached Each Year
Your purchase helps to provide vital social and pediatric health care services, ensuring children grow up safe and healthy.
