Marianna grew up on a fruit orchard in central Washington and was spoiled by eating fresh apples from the trees and being surrounded by great home cooks. Her first big pastry memory is making a Lane cake for her ninth-grade English class — bourbon and all. That should have been an indication that her road would eventually lead to pastry, but there would still be several years before the notion would even arise in her head.

With a degree in English and Creative Writing from Seattle University, Marianna spent years in retail and then veterinary clinic management. She started her cooking education by assisting for classes at a national cooking chain. Energized by a kidney transplant in 2013, Marianna decided to enter the restaurant world full-time, and immersed herself completely in learning everything she could about baking and pastry, landing her first pastry chef job in 2015.

Marianna now splits her time between running a small cake business and teaching everything from apple pie to zeppole and everything in between. When she's not covered in flour you can find her scouring the farmers markets, nose deep in a book, traveling, or taking way too many photos of her corgis, Bowie and Freddie.