About the Author

Angelica MacLean is a first-generation Haitian American home cook and storyteller born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, where her culinary voice was shaped at the intersection of Haitian tradition and New England life. Raised by her parents, Alice and Jean, she grew up between salt air summers at the beach and quiet afternoons in the backyard watching her father tend to 24 chickens and garden, which was an early lesson in patience. In the kitchen, Saturdays were reserved for cooking alongside her mother, preparing fritay and Haitian staples that carried the warmth of legacy, while Sundays after church gathered family around the table in shared ritual and abundance.

Her work reflects a lived expression of Haitian cuisine. It’s rooted, intuitive, and deeply personal, it is carried forward into her debut cookbook Creole Heart: A Haitian Kitchen in Every Season. Rather than fusion, her cooking exists in coexistence: Haitian flavors sustained through the shifting seasons of Massachusetts, where snow, salt air, and summer heat all find their place alongside epis, slow-simmered stews, and vibrant family dishes.

Angelica is married to Sean MacLean, whom she wed on July 3rd, 2025, with nearly six years together. Through music, family gatherings, and shared meals, he has embraced Haitian culture in full color. Especially its food, which remains the centerpiece of celebration. His favorites span from spicy chicken gizzards to lobster mac and cheese, reflecting the bold, layered comfort of the table they continue to build together.

Through her writing and cooking, Angelica extends an invitation: to experience Haitian cuisine not only as heritage, but as a living, evolving presence. One that carries memory, welcomes community, and always makes room at the table.