One Plate at a Time: Building a Voice, a Business, and a Movement
- Jun 16
- 4 min read
By Maricel Gentile
If you have a story inside you—one that makes your heart ache, or your hands move, or your voice tremble when you tell it—then you already have a platform. You just haven’t built it yet.
I want to talk to every woman reading this who wonders if her voice matters. Whether you are 18 or 68, whether you are just beginning or starting again, know this: your story is your foundation. When you speak it, write it, cook it, sing it, teach it—you invite others to do the same. You build more than a platform. You build a movement.
I know, because I started mine in my Lola’s kitchen in Manila.
My grandmother was the matriarch of our family and the center of every meal. She cooked without recipes but with so much love and instinct, I could feel her hands guiding mine even before I knew what I was doing. My mother wasn’t a cook, but she was a force. She became a doctor at a time when women were expected to be quiet, not bold.
She loved to travel, to entertain, and to bring people together through hospitality. From her, I didn’t learn recipes—but I did learn presence, generosity, and how to make a guest feel like family. Lola nurtured us with her hands. Mama inspired us with her confidence. Their influence lives in everything I do—from the food I serve to the space I’ve created at Maricel’s Kitchen.
When I moved to New York in my early twenties, I thought my path would be traditional. I studied restaurant management and worked the front of house in some of the most prestigious restaurants in the city. I had the amazing experience of being on teams that earned four-stars and five-diamonds. I learned a lot and I made a name for myself helping others build their dream restaurants. But my own story, my own voice, stayed quiet.
It wasn’t until my fifties that I found the courage to speak it. I left corporate food service to start something of my own. That’s when I created Maricel’s Kitchen—not just as a place to eat, but a place to experience food as connection and to tell the world about Filipino Food and how amazing it is.
I began teaching cooking classes, sharing my beloved Filipino dishes and other Asian recipes. Lumpia. Adobo. Pho. Japchae. Ramen. These classes became more than cooking lessons. They became my platform.
Here’s what I’ve learned on this journey—lessons I hope every woman can take to heart:
1. Your platform begins the moment you believe your story matters.
You don’t need a big stage or a perfect plan. You need truth. My first "platform" was a six-person class in my tiny kitchen, sharing why Pancit and Lumpia reminded me of my childhood. People leaned in. Not just for the recipe, but for the story. That’s when I realized that authenticity feeds people more than any dish can.
2. Use what you have. It’s enough.
I didn’t graduate from culinary school. I studied fine arts, then restaurant management, and built a successful career in food service. But when it came to the kitchen, I was self-taught—guided by memory, tradition, and heart. I didn’t have investors or a PR team. But I had stories. I had recipes. I had a heart full of purpose. That was enough to start. Too many women wait to be "ready." If you’re waiting for perfect, you’ll wait forever. Use what you have. It’s more than enough.
3. Your story will grow if you keep telling it.
Writing my cookbook, Maricel’s Simply Asian Cookbook, was something I never imagined I would do. For years, I had shared my story through dishes and dinners, through laughter in the kitchen and lessons passed from one generation to the next. But putting it all into words—into recipes someone could hold in their hands—felt like planting a piece of my heart on the page. The cookbook became a new way to tell my story, one shaped by love, resilience, culture, and joy.
Writing the book was my way of saying, "You can do this, too." It’s not just about cooking. It’s about building courage and connection.
When I started Maricel’s Kitchen, I never imagined the journey it would take me on. That journey led to TV appearances on the Food Network, Hulu, and PBS, and to becoming a Chef Ambassador for K-Seafood. I didn’t ask for a spotlight. I simply kept showing up—cooking with heart and telling the truth. One plate at a time. One person at a time.
That’s the power of your story too. It can take you places you never dreamed of—but only if you take the first step and tell it.
4. Your voice will make others feel seen.
I’ve taught thousands of people in my classes. I’ve watched a third-generation Filipina tear up because a spoonful of sinigang brought her back to her father’s kitchen—the smell, the warmth, the quiet love he poured into that dish. I’ve seen anime fans light up with pure joy as we cooked recipes they’d only admired on screen. I’ve seen guests reconnect with their heritage, and others taste something for the first time. Some come not just for the food, but to feel closer to a culture they miss, long for, or are just beginning to discover. I’ve seen people who had never cooked find joy, power, and pride in creating food that tasted like home. I’ve seen total strangers become friends over rice noodles, their stories unfolding between bites, laughter, and shared memories. When we share from the heart, we help others feel like they belong. That’s what your story can do, too.
5. There is no "too late."
Please hear me: it is never too late. Not to change. Not to dream. Not to begin. I started my real journey in my fifties. I turned my lived experiences into lessons. I turned my kitchen into a classroom. I turned my culture into my platform.
So, whether your story comes out on a podcast, a page, a plate, or a post—tell it. Build from it. Use it to lift others.
Your voice is your legacy. Speak it, and let it rise.
I’m cheering for you from my kitchen. Let me know if this message speaks to you. I’d love to connect, uplift, and share more.
Connect With Maricel
Email: maricel@MaricelsKitchen.com
Facebook: @MaricelsKitchenUSA
Instagram: @Maricelskitchenusa
TikTok: @Maricelskitchenusa
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