Culinary Journey
The Art of Nourishing
Cooking has always been, for me, an act of care.
Rooted in more than twenty-five years of culinary experience, French traditions, and the recipes that have accompanied my own life, this collection celebrates the beauty of simple ingredients, seasonal cooking, and meals shared around the table. These recipes are offered not only as something to prepare, but as a way of nourishing everyday life with simplicity, presence, and love.
Simple ingredients. Precious moments. Made with love.
Culinary Journey
Long before I began writing about healing and the inner life, I learned another language of care: cooking.
My journey through the culinary arts began in Montréal and eventually carried me through Geneva, Milan, and Las Vegas. Across more than twenty-five years, cooking became both a profession and a way of understanding nourishment, creativity, hospitality, and the quiet joy of caring for others.
Those years shaped more than my recipes. They taught me how food can bring people together, carry traditions forward, create memories, and transform an ordinary table into a place of connection.
Today, that part of my journey continues through my cookbooks and recipes — offered with the same simplicity, gratitude, and love that have always guided my cooking.
1998 │ ITHQ Culinary School, Montréal
1998–2005 │ Le Caveau Restaurant Cook
2003 │ Founded MariDo Catering & MChef
2003–2022 │ MCHEF Culinary Innovation
2022–Present │ Writing • Healing • Conscious Nourishment • Contemplative Living
Cookbooks
Chef Marie’s Lifestyle Food Guide
100 Recipes Straight from My Journal — 26 Years in the French Kitchen (1996–2022)
Some cookbooks teach recipes.
Others teach a way of living.
Chef Marie's Lifestyle Food Guide is a celebration of simple ingre dients, thoughtful cooking, and the everyday pleasure of gathering around the table. Drawn from Marie-Dominique Rail's personal culinary journal, this collection reflects more than twenty-five years of experience as an executive chef, culinary researcher, and entrepreneur.
Inspired by French culinary traditions and shaped by decades of cooking in Montréal, Geneva, Milan, and Las Vegas, each recipe reflects a philosophy where flavor, freshness, and well-being exist in perfect harmony.
Inside, you'll discover more than 100 thoughtfully selected recipes inspired by the simple pleasure of nourishing both body and heart. From vibrant salads and comforting soups to roasted chicken, grilled salmon, sautéed shrimp, classic Boeuf Bourguignon, and timeless French-inspired dishes, every recipe celebrates the beauty of cooking with fresh ingredients, organic herbs, and balanced seasonings.
Rooted in low-carb and gluten-free cooking, with thoughtfully integrated vegan alternatives, these recipes embrace today's diverse nutritional lifestyles while remaining faithful to simplicity, flavor, and timeless French traditions.
More than a collection of recipes, Chef Marie's Lifestyle Food Guide invites you to slow down, cook with intention, and rediscover the joy of preparing meals that bring people together.
Whether you are cooking for yourself, your family, or friends gathered around your table, these recipes are meant to be shared, enjoyed, and passed on.
Because the most memorable meals are rarely the most complicated.
They are the ones prepared with care, shared with love, and remembered for years to come.
Simple ingredients. Precious moments. Made with love.
Oil-Free Nutritious Salads and Wine Pairings — Chef Marie
Vegan • Gluten-Free • Sugar-Free • Low-Carb
More Than 100 Fresh Recipes for Everyday Nourishment
Some salads satisfy your hunger.
Others awaken your senses.
They celebrate the vibrant colors of nature, the freshness of seasonal ingredients, and the simple pleasure of preparing wholesome meals with intention.
Oil-Free Nutritious Salads and Wine Pairings invites you to discover a refreshing approach ch to everyday cooking through more than 100 vibrant recipes inspired by conscious living, balanced nutrition, and the timeless elegance of French culinary traditions.
Designed for today's health-conscious lifestyle, every recipe is naturally oil-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, low in carbohydrates, and rich in flavor. Whether you follow a plant-based lifestyle or simply wish to bring more freshness to your table, this collection offers creative, satisfying meals that nourish both body and heart.
Inside, you'll discover colorful salads from around the world, homemade vegan cheeses, plant-based yogurt creations, and lighter interpretations of beloved classics such as Ranch, Caesar, and Blue Cheese dressings. Carefully selected wine pairings accompany many recipes, creating harmonious meals where every ingredient complements the next.
More than a cookbook, Oil-Free Nutritious Salads and Wine Pairings is an invitation to rediscover the beauty of fresh ingredients, mindful cooking, and joyful eating.
Whether preparing a light lunch, sharing dinner with friends, or celebrating life's everyday moments, these recipes encourage you to cook with creativity, balance, and intention.
Because the most nourishing meals are often the simplest.
And the healthiest choices can also be the most delicious.
Simple ingredients. Fresh inspiration. Made with love.
Cakes & Desserts — Childhood Memories
Family Desserts and Timeless Sweet Creations
100 Easy and Exquisite Homemade Recipes
Some desserts satisfy a sweet tooth.
Others become part of a family's story.
They fill the kitchen with the comforting aroma of vanilla, warm butter, caramelized apples, and rich chocolate. They celebrate birthdays, holidays, Sunday afternoons, and the simple joy of gathering around the table.
Cakes & Desserts — Childhood Memories is a heartfelt collection of more than 100 homemade recipes inspired by the French, British, and Canadian traditions that shaped Marie-Dominique Rail's childhood.
Created for both beginning and experienced bakers, this timeless collection celebrates the beauty of homemade desserts prepared with simple ingredients, approachable techniques, and plenty of love.
Inside, you'll discover moist cakes, cheesecakes, brownies, financiers, muffins, sweet breads, fruit desserts, crêpe cakes, Charlotte Russe, tiramisu, apple crumble, bread pudding, holiday favorites, and many other cherished family recipes.
Helpful baking techniques, practical tips, and full-color photography accompany each chapter, making every recipe approachable, enjoyable, and rewarding to prepare.
More than a dessert cookbook, Cakes & Desserts — Childhood Memories is an invitation to slow down, bake with intention, and create moments that will be remembered long after the last slice has been shared. Because the sweetest memories are often made in the kitchen. And the most treasured recipes are the ones lovingly passed from one generation to the next.
Simple ingredients. Precious moments. Made with love.
Find The Books On Amazon
AMAZON
Explore the Collection
Discover Marie-Dominique Rail’s books in available editions and formats.
BARNES & NOBLE
Discover the Collection
Explore available titles by Marie-Dominique Rail at Barnes & Noble.
Recipes to Nourish Life
Ingredients (Serves 4–6)
Vegetables (The Foundation)
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced 2 medium golden beets or parsnips, thinly sliced 2 medium red beets, thinly sliced
Healing Fats & Dairy
200 g high-quality feta cheese, crumbled 1 cup …
A nourishing blend to support the body’s natural defenses
These small energy balls are a concentrated source of nutrients traditionally associated with strengthening the immune system, supporting digestion, and providing stable energy throughout the day. Each …
A grounding, mineral-rich soup that warms and deeply nourishes.
Ingredients
• Olive oil (1 tbsp)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 sweet potato, cubed
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 cup cooked lentils or …
A vibrant, crisp, high-frequency salad full of life energy.
Ingredients
• Mixed greens (2 cups)
• Red cabbage (½ cup)
• Carrots, grated (½ cup)
• Pumpkin seeds (¼ cup)
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1 orange, segmented
• Dressing:
• Olive oil (2 tbsp)
• Lemon juice (1 …
A plant-based power bowl with a bright, zesty, creamy dragon sauce.
Ingredients
Bowl
• 1 block firm tofu, cubed
• Tamari (1 tbsp)
• Coconut oil (1 tbsp)
• Steamed broccoli
• Cooked quinoa
• Sliced cucumber
Dragon Sauce
• Tahini (2 tbsp)
• Maple syrup (1 tbsp)
• …
Rich, comforting, and deliciously light — perfect for clean eating.
Ingredients
• Olive oil (1 tbsp)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• Cooked lentils (1 cup)
• Crushed tomatoes (1 can)
• Tomato paste (1 tbsp)
• Oregano (1 tsp)
• Basil (1 tsp)
• Konjac noodles
…Moist, chocolatey, naturally sweet — a guilt-free dessert.
Ingredients
• 2 apples, grated
• 3 eggs
• Cacao powder (¼ cup)
• Maple syrup (optional, ¼ cup)
• Dark chocolate chunks (½ cup)
• Vanilla (1 tsp)
Instructions
1. Preheat to 350°F.
2. Mix all ingredients.
…Elegant, nourishing, deeply savory — a plant-based gourmet plate.
Ingredients
Mushroom Steak
• 2 large portobello mushrooms
• Tamari (1 tbsp)
• Olive oil (1 tbsp)
• Smoked paprika (1 tsp)
Roasted Vegetables
• Carrots, parsnips, beets
• Olive oil (1 tbsp)
• Salt &…
A calming anti-inflammatory elixir for evening grounding.
Ingredients
• Coconut or almond milk (1 cup)
• Turmeric (½ tsp)
• Cinnamon (¼ tsp)
• Black pepper (pinch)
• Maple syrup (1 tsp)
• Coconut oil (½ tsp, optional)
Instructions
1. Warm milk.
2. Whisk in spices.
…Ingredients
Cacao Milk
• Coconut milk (1 cup)
• Raw cacao (1 tbsp)
• Maple syrup (1 tsp)
• Cinnamon (pinch)
Coconut Whipped Cream
• Chilled coconut cream (1 can refrigerated overnight)
• Maple syrup (1 tbsp)
• Vanilla (½ tsp)
Instructions
1. Warm coconut milk …