Maggie Korvin is enthusiastic about life, her family, her friends, living on Whidbey and many other things. But she especially loves what she does for a living and for fun: creating marvelous cuisine and teaching others how to do it.

After having a highly successful catering career in Seattle for several years, she decided to move herself and her business, Ovations Catering and Cooking Classes, to Whidbey Island.

Korvin’s move to Whidbey brings her close to the family she loves, including her parents (dad and mom are now 90 and 86, respectively), her baby sister, Beth (who with husband, Gary, owns Mukilteo Coffee Company), two nieces and two nephews.

She moved to her new Langley home in August of last year and had a front porch remodeled to serve as an elegant and large dining space. She uses the area for her special cooking classes that are unique for what and how she teaches, and for the generous portions each participant gets to enjoy.

Korvin was born in Hungary, but moved to the United States when she was a child. She has always had a fondness for continental cuisine. At one time, she worked with Mehdi Ziani of Morocco, who prepared food for King Hassan and was voted “Chef of the World.” She has taught cooking classes on Holland American Lines for as many as 1,200 participants.

In Seattle, her clients have included the Seattle Opera, Williams-Sonoma, Sur la Table, Ristorante La Buca and she did the catering for more than 1,000 people attending the world premiere of “Shrek” (which included many special creations such as “Bugs on a Board” – celery with peanut butter and raisins).

One of the favorite events she catered was the opening of Mukilteo Coffee Company in Langley. She is very proud of the company her sister and brother-in-law have developed.

Korvin is hoping to expand her business on Whidbey while still tending to major catering events on the mainland. She has taught cooking classes at her home and will be catering the major donor party for Whidbey Island Center for the Arts.

She promotes her theme: “At the table, one never ages,” and said moving to Whidbey was a great choice for her line of work.

“There is so much here that is fresh and real,” she said. “People on the island really appreciate good food.”