Chef Deberah Sutter Biography

Executive Chef Deberah Sutter is a woman with a mission. Food has always been her passion, but her focus is on nurturing and educating people to eat better through the use of sustainable foods and delectable recipes. Chef Sutter recently relocated to Southern Delaware from Westchester, New York. As a resort community, Southern Delaware has a plethora of fantastic food establishments. What makes Chef Sutter’s food different is the superior quality of flavors, the daily changes to the variety of offerings and her dedication to using local, natural and organic ingredients. The quality and taste of her dishes have no peers. After preparing dinner for a few new friends, the word spread quickly. Requests for Ms. Sutter’s products have been flowing in and the market for sustainable prepared food products in this community has emerged.

As a native of Northern California, Chef Sutter had sautéed and marinated her way through several phases of her green culinary development, when she landed in Mt. Kisco, New York in 2000. It was there, in partnership with the Cabbage Hill Farm Foundation, that Chef Sutter opened The Flying Pig and began teaching the Westchester community that eating green was more than granola and bean sprouts.3 Ms. Sutter and the foundation turned a 150 year old abandoned railway station into a full service market and restaurant that only served locally grown organic and natural foods. Ms. Sutter, in conjunction with her staff, helped local farmers thrive through the daily varied menus that were designed to use the freshest and tastiest of available local meats, produce and dairy products.

Chef Sutter states that a major portion of her mission is to educate the community about cultural foods and sustainable agriculture. During her tenure at The Flying Pig, Ms. Sutter initiated the Edible Education Project. In collaboration with the Mt. Kisco Day Care Center (MKDCC), Ms. Sutter created a developmentally appropriate food and nutrition program for children 18 months through 12 years of age, aiming to teach children the connection between healthy foods and seed-to-table preparation. Food was grown on site, in vegetable gardens that were planned, planted and cared for by the children and staff, along with seniors from My Second Home, an adult daycare program located in the same building. The Edible Education Program provided children with an education around healthy eating and healthy choices. Students were fed locally grown and farm-fresh foods, taught methods of farming, allowed to grow their own foods on site, and learned food preparation and cooking skills. Children and seniors alike learned to appreciate healthier food choices through education, participation and mentoring. This program was replicated in several public schools and after-school programs to expand the reach of the project as well as to heighten awareness about healthy living among school aged children. In 2005, the Board of MKDCC presented Ms. Sutter with an achievement award for her work in founding and developing the Edible Education Project.7

Since her move to Southern Delaware, Chef Sutter has been amazed by the huge response to her healthy and delicious prepared foods. Her business has grown rapidly with opportunities to provide prepared foods for local natural markets and farmer’s markets as well as for a steady catering clientele. Chef Sutter’s use of diverse grains in delectable salads, diverse produce in delightful appetizers and use of grass-fed meats, poultry and fish in savory entrees has sparked community interest in the source of these delicious foods and a desire to learn more about them. Chef Sutter has been peppered with requests for cooking classes, but lacks the space to offer classes at this time.

Currently, Chef Sutter is seeking a collaboration to continue the work she has started in bringing healthy foods and culinary education to our community. Chef Sutter specializes in bringing new vision and energy to food businesses that have not realized their full potential. In addition, Chef Sutter brings a vast knowledge of foods from many different cultures as well as an established client base for take-out business and upscaling catering. Chef Sutter has established many relationships with food proprietors, farmers and vendors in our area as well. Chef Sutter was featured for her new green business in the April 2008 Delaware Today.