Chef Stephanie Riley has always had a great passion for food, and likes to follow both mottos, “live to eat” and “eat to live”. She believes and has seen proof that what you put into your body results in how your body functions. And eating for functioning, as well as for taste, can be very exciting and satisfying.

Stephanie grew up in a large family and had the benefit of garden fresh food. Helping her mother and grandmother string beans and shuck corn for the dinner table their family of eight gathered at every evening gave her a sense of family bonding through food. She would like to pass that experience on to others by encouraging families to take the time to eat at their own dinner table, to sit down and talk to each other over a delicious, healthy meal they’ve personally chosen provided by Life of Riley Personal Chef Service.

Stephanie first made food her life calling by attending culinary school at Stratford University in Falls Church, VA, where she was a member of the Culinary Honor Society. While she participated in the culinary program there, one of her chef instructors at the school referred her to his friend, Chef Richard Beckel, formerly Executive Sous Chef at Citronelle in Georgetown and currently the Executive Chef of The Caucus Room in Washington, D.C., who was at the time Executive Chef at The Brass Cannon restaurant at Stonewall Golf Club in Gainesville, VA. Chef Beckel hired Stephanie to be a member of his kitchen brigade at The Brass Cannon, where her culinary education grew by leaps and bounds under his tutelage.

For several years, Stephanie has also been a flight attendant, during which time she has been able to blend her love of taking care of others with her passion for experiencing new cultures and foods. She has had the pleasure of discovering her favorite restaurants in Paris, of soaking in the pure foodie’s mecca of Pike’s Market in Seattle, of savoring the best steak in Buenos Aires, of having traditional fish and chips from a pub in London, and through it all her palate and her knowledge of the variety of food around the world has influenced her cooking and tastes in food.

Stephanie has also studied the effects that toxins in our food, our home and our environment have on our mental and physical health, including links to cancer, asthma, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and ADHD. She has taken steps to rid her own diet of most preservatives and highly-processed foods, and has also eliminated the toxic chemical cleaners from her home and replaced them with natural and non-toxic cleaners. Toxins store themselves within the fat cells in our bodies, and as a result of her reduced toxicity, Stephanie has lost weight, gained better mental focus, and has been consistently physically healthy. She will cook for you and clean up your kitchen in the same non-toxic manner, and hope to pass on the good health to you, as well as any educational materials or references on non-toxic living you may be interested in.

Chef Stephanie is a member of Personal Chefs Network, where she is Sous Chef (Vice President) of the Virginia Chapter. She also is certified as a ServSafe Food Protection Manager. Life of Riley Personal Chef Service is licensed and insured.

Stephanie invites you to let her take you on a culinary journey toward better health, a satisfied appetite, peace of mind, and a more luxurious life!

Contact me to schedule an appointment today!