Stefanie Hibbert had already considered several different futures by the time she discovered cooking. 

She attended a medical magnet high school, studied at multiple colleges and earned an associate’s degree in education, first using it in corporate training and tutoring math. She worked in sales across Florida and spent time teaching career readiness to graduating students in health and human services. A culinary career was nowhere on her radar.

Then life shifted.

During a leave of absence in 2018, Stefanie went to help at a small sandwich shop her father had quietly opened in Leesburg. One day, he showed her how to caramelize onions. It may have seemed like a small moment, but it changed everything for her.

“I enjoyed it,” Stefanie says. “Just standing there and watching the onions change shape, their fragrance, the caramelization, the taste, just all of that for some reason was relaxing. I didn’t know how to cook previous to this. I had no idea how to even cook rice or anything. I could scramble eggs but that was about it.”

Not long after, she walked into a hiring event at Mojo’s in Leesburg and told them the truth when they asked what she could cook.

“Nothing,” she answered.

But they gave her a chance and hired her as a prep cook. Within a week or two, she knew the menu and had fallen in love with the pace and energy of the kitchen. She remembers the spinach artichoke dip bubbling, Alfredo sauce simmering, cookies baking and pork slowly cooking all at once.

From there, Stefanie pushed herself further. She worked at Wave Asian Bistro and Sushi, where she learned the art of making sushi and refined her prep skills, and later at The Frog and Monkey in Mount Dora, where Chef Mario encouraged her to attend culinary school.

That advice eventually led her to Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in Boulder, Colorado.

She began online but traveled there for a farm-to-table event, saw the mountains and knew she had to stay. Within two months she packed up her car and moved across the country.

When COVID forced classes online, Stefanie accelerated her coursework and accepted a temporary position at The Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas, where she worked as the wok chef in a Japanese fine dining restaurant.

The experience sharpened her skills, but it also stirred a personal connection.

“My grandmother, before she passed away in 2011, used to cook her shrimp fried rice and I loved it,” Stefanie says. “Being on the wok station brought back those memories for me and I wanted to perfect it, so I did.”

Today, Chef Stefanie owns Posh Dining and Charcuterie, a business she launched three years ago that blends catering, cooking classes, private chef experiences and beautifully arranged charcuterie boards, boxes, cups and grazing tables.

Her work reflects both creativity and heritage. Stefanie’s family is Chinese/Jamaican, and those influences naturally define many of her dishes. Her WOKbox fried rice and stir-fry creations reflect the Chinese side of her family, while her Reggae punches, Jamaican bread pudding and pineapple upside-down cake — recipes inspired by her father — offer bold Caribbean flavors.

“We have flavors from the Chinese side, and then we have our flavors and spices from the Jamaican side,” she says. “I like to fuse those together and really come up with some awesome creations.”

While she enjoys cooking full meals, Stefanie has become especially known for her charcuterie, where presentation turns food into art. Oversized fruit, vibrant colors and thoughtful arrangements transform familiar ingredients into something striking.

“My favorite part is my interaction with my clients and their trust in me to prepare food for them and their events,” she says. “When I deliver a charcuterie box to someone and their face lights up…I just love that.”

That reaction is exactly what she aims for. Stefanie isn’t interested in food that feels exclusive or intimidating. Instead, she prefers elevating everyday favorites.

“I would rather take things that people already love to eat, dishes that people can afford, and turn it into something elegant for them,” she says.

Stefanie is also an author with 10 published books, some available on Amazon, others on Blurb.com. Her newest release, “When One Door Opens, They All Do,” continues her mission of helping others heal and overcome trauma.

That same heart carries into Open Table Tuesday, a weekly community meal she helps lead with Arlene at Happy Hippie Customs in Eustis, where anyone can come for a free meal, fellowship and essentials like canned goods, hygiene products and household items.

Food is about far more than flavor for Stefanie. It is about connection, a way to bring people together, brighten someone’s day and remind them they belong at the table.

And for someone who once said she could cook “nothing,” she is now creating something much bigger than meals.

“Everybody needs something,” Stefanie says. “We need each other.”  

Simple Veggie Lasagna

Simple Charcuterie Board Instructions

Simple Fried Rice

Photos: Nicole Hamel and Provided