Check Out Maria DeRosa’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Maria DeRosa.

Hi Maria, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I made my entrance into the world on Christmas Day 1952. I was born into a traditional Catholic Family and the eldest of 6. Expectations surfaced immediately for me to be “kind, Christlike and good” at all costs. Staying loyal to these external standards led to a life that presented several challenges.

At a young age of 21 and barely out of college, I found myself madly in love with a Juilliard School of Music pianist. The romance with whispers of a talented Italian swept me off my feet and I soon found myself pregnant. Within a few years we had 2 children and what I thought was the perfect life. I was teaching part-time and he was teaching piano while assisting his father in the family-owned furniture business.

Holidays and family gatherings were bountiful with amazing Latin and Italian dishes, not to mention good wine. Little did I know that my spouse, Vince participation in several gatherings with priests, my dad and fellow parishioners was not always about planning future church events. It was about social drinking which progressed into more issues as time went on. Soon our life was no longer sweet piano seranades in the evening with a glass of wine but screaming matches as to his late nights, falling asleep and missing work. The disease of alcoholism entered our life and the crazy merry go round of dysfunction began.

In the Fall of 2010, three life experiences arrived out of left field. My dad was dying of bone cancer, I was loosing my restaurant business of 28 + years, and my marriage of almost 38 years was disappearing. I had made the decision to file for divorce just a few months prior. I was exhausted. My health was deteriorating after holding the pieces of the restaurant together with 2 relapses. In a moment of frustration, I hired a private investigator. Then the veil of denial was lifted as the report uncovered a mistress, credit card debt and more. I was done. My body craved for a full night’s sleep and the calmness of serenity. There was no price tag on that. It was either fight to prove I was right and physically die from exhaustion or some strange disease or walk away from it all. I choose the latter.

I remember sitting down and telling myself. Somehow, someway, I will survive all this. Slowly, through making a daily effort to ” work on me”, rebuild MY confidence with therapy and the Al-anon Fellowship, I regained a new outlook on life. This in turn helped me capture a renewed love of self and a new health regimen — I not only was able to run the LA Marathon at age 64 (never having run before) but found love! In January of 2024 I decided to write a book about my journey with living so many years besides someone struggling with narcotics and alcohol. and was honored to receive an International Impact Book Award in July of 2025 in the category of recovery. On November 11, of this year, my second book was released that encompasses what I offer women today: how to heal soul wounds through the art of cooking and using and understanding our 5 senses.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
NO, it was NOT smooth at all. Yet each challenge presented me with building character, strength and the willingness to open to other women who might encounter being in the same position. The most challenging struggles? 1) being a working mother with 2 children knowing your husband is sleeping off the drinking episode from the night before and you find yourself making excuses for him
2) living in denial when your body is screaming with stress: hair falling out, severe stress excema
irritable bowel syndrome, sleepless nights
3) driving 45 minutes to visit my bed ridden father after working 12 hour days in the restaurant and doing the same day after day
4) having to send your children to bed early or without a good meal because your husband is screaming and yelling about how he deserves a drink when he can barely walk into the house
5) admitting that what you truly wanted to make work — a good family life has failed and looking at yourself in the mirror and feeling like a “piece of shit”

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
In my life I have been a high school Spanish teacher of almost 12 years, a bilingual translator for an insurance company for almost 5 and then a restaurant owner for over 28 + years. Each of these professions helped shape me for what I am doing today. When I found myself with NO restaurant business I froze. I did not want to go back to teaching. I did not want to open another restaurant — what was I to do?

I took time to work on myself. Spiritual mentors and other personal development resources brought to my WHY and my heart. I realized that I had two gifts that made my heart sing — cooking / baking AND teaching. I also had been through 3 extremely tough experiences in ONE year at age almost 60. With guidance and tenacity I now help women heal soul wounds, their tragic losses while cooking. YOU have to eat… so why not eat with intention and heal from the inside OUT? I teach Master Classes 4 times a year. Virtual classes and also volunteer cooking classes to seniors at the Josyln Center ( our local senior center) This is all under the umbrella of my business Ladies of the Kitchen.

Why am I confident and proud? Because I did this at age 60 +. I did not give up and I realize 100% age is simply a number. I speak from the heart and life experience NOT from all my credentials.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I dance in the kitchen. I have music going whenever I work and I often have a hydrate to drink or homemade tea when cooking a meal or a light glass of champagne if I am baking in the evening hours.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ladiesofthekitchen.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maria.ladiesofthekitchen
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marialderosa https://www.facebook.com/cookhealeatrepeat/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ladiesofthekitchen9569
• Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ladies-of-the-kitchen/id1834257697

Image Credits
Bleu Magdalena Briggs