Yvonne Maffei
Global Food & Lifestyle Researcher, Author, Influencer, and Entrepreneur | Halal Food & Cooking Expert
Certified specialist
Key Facts
First Halal food website
Pioneered the first culinary and shop website in the niche area of
halal food.
First Halal cookbooks
Wrote the first cookbooks dedicated
to halal cooking.
Ambassador
First professional ambassador of the promotion of halal cuisine, products and services both in the U.S. and abroad.
Guest Chef
Served as a guest Chef in the first-ever Halal Food Tour (2013) and I Heart Halal (2018) festivals in the U.S.
Speaker
Speaker and panelist at the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP).
Member
Member of the esteemed
Les Dames d’Escoffier Chicago
Chapter.
Promoter
Promoter of Culinary Diplomacy
and Gastro Tourism concepts and
projects globally.
Featured
Featured in the Chicago History Museum Chicago Muslim Project
(2019).
Official guest
Official guest of the Obama
White House Eid Celebration
(2016).
About Yvonne Maffei
Yvonne Maffei is a self-taught chef, food researcher & travel writer, cookbook author, e-commerce entrepreneur, public speaker, food industry consultant, niche consumer marketer, an expert in halal cooking, and the founder of the first blog on halal food & cooking, MyHalalKitchen.com and e-commerce site MyHalalMarket.com
Experience
She gives cooking classes, presentations on the meaning of halal, and educates about conscious cooking and healthy eating.
She consults food brands, schools, and hospitals on how to understand and source halal ingredients and methods in cooking for food and cosmetic products.
FEATURED IN
Education and Certifications
- BA Spanish & Latin American Studies, Ohio University, September 1993-June 1997
- MA International Development Studies, Ohio University, January 1998-June 1999
- Nutrition & Food Science: Harvard University
- Food as Medicine: Stanford University
- The Science of Cooking: Harvardx
- Newspaper Journalism: UC Berkeley Extension
- Travel Writing: University of San Francisco
- Turkish language: Yunus Emre Institute, Washington, DC
- Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language: Transworld Schools, San Francisco
Academic Research &
Publications
- Gastro Tourism as a Tool for Rural Regional Development: Ensuring Safe Service in Restaurants in Epidemiological Situations. Tashkent International Tourism Fair, Uzbekistan. November 2020
- How Can Halal Consumers Know Something is Really Halal, Virtual Halal Summit & Expo. October 2020
- Understanding the Modern Halal Consumer: Focus on Food Experiences. World Halal Summit. Istanbul, Turkey. December 2018.
- Eid Celebrations and Modern Halal Eating Among Multi-Ethnic Muslims in America. The Language of Food Conference. Cornell University. 2012.
Services and Solutions
Strategizing social media campaigns for in-house and/or sponsored content with food and lifestyle brands.
Consulting companies on social media management and business development in the global halal food space.
Advising start-ups, mid-level, and well-established corporations on new product or service launches for niche markets.
Negotiating recipe development contracts for projects with food and lifestyle brands.
Public speaking on healthy living, gastro tourism, halal consumer marketing topics.
Guiding overseas companies on the legal, financial, and logistical aspects of product distribution into the U.S. consumer market.
Freelance writing for the halal food and travel industry.
Designing kitchen spaces for residential and commercial use by individuals and organizations.
My Halal Kitchen
Visit my blog on halal food and cooking for recipes of different cuisines
Honors and Awards
2020
Best Halal Service Award from American Halal Council at the Halal Expo & Summit.
2019
Daybreak Press Book Award, Cookbook Category for the My Halal Kitchen Cookbook.
2018
Honoree of the Carl Sandburg Literary Awards presented by the Chicago Public Library Foundation.
My Halal Market
1st e-commerce site for dropshipping halal products
Halal Cooking Classes by Yvonne
I can come to your home, school, or organization for a cooking lesson in any ethnic cuisine.
Interested in collaborating?
Thank you for your visit!
Are you interested in any of my services or working with me? Just fill out the contact form and I will get back to you shortly.
I would love to hear from you!