Meet Our Owner
Our owner and master chef, Veronica Mussie, first discovered her culinary passion while working in her mother’s garden and enjoying organic homemade meals in her homeland of Ethiopia. As a young adult migrating to the United States, Veronica would end up leaning on those childhood experiences derived through her mother’s cooking expertise.
Her philosophy for life is that, “food feeds the soul and serves as the single greatest unifier for people from all walks of life.”
Veronica experienced that firsthand as an immigrant working inside of leading Ethiopian and American restaurants. Through those experiences, she expanded her dynamic culinary skills and gained a pulse on food trends, too.
She realized a growing gap in the market -- there was an emerging desire for multiple cultures on one plate.
As the U.S. population became more diverse, apparently, so did their palette! This sparked the foundation of what would later become her own full-service catering company. Today, Vera’s Kitchen is known for weaving together healthy fusion recipes that “dance” between American and Ethiopian dishes in an organic manner.
But this culinary vision took time to come alive.
Prior to establishing Vera’s Kitchen, Veronica spent several years as a stay-at-home mother of three boys while beating breast cancer and creating a non-profit breast cancer awareness organization, Alpha Breast Cancer Support Services (ABCSS).
Founded in 2013, her organization works to create strong links between agencies in the United States and those in Ethiopia and Eritrea. It’s designed to help every woman have access to the education and resources necessary for breast cancer detection and treatment. Over the years, ABCSS has supported hundreds of women diagnosed with breast cancer in the horn of Africa.
No matter the entreprenurial idea, Veronica is determined to help light the world for others.
This includes her catering business today. The name, Vera’s Kitchen “Desta,” translates to happiness in the main language of Ethiopia, Amharic.
Her team infuses that energy of happiness and joy into each creative meal prepared --- and catered event delivered.
As an empowerment advocate, Veronica has been featured on multiple media platforms including FOX5 News, the Arlington Catholic Herald and Diaspora radio.
