Rose Marie Donhauser (born 1959) grew up in a country inn near Altötting/Upper Bavaria and spent her apprenticeship years in the international hotel industry. She then worked as a cook and food & beverage manager. Since 1988 she has been working as a cookbook author, food and travel journalist and restaurant tester, and gets new culinary ideas and inspiration from her numerous travels.

Many of her more than 150 cookbook titles have received international awards. Her specialty is developing recipes that aim to combine enjoyment with health. Plant-based cuisine is particularly close to her heart, and so many tasty "animal-free recipes" are created on her test stove.