Meet Chef Gila

The first word I learned to spell was M-O-T-T-S, which I read as “apple juice.” I clearly had a thing for food and drink from a young age. Investigating the source of foods began with the Motts factory, but my journey has continued further down the food chain in an effort to discover the highest quality foods and craftsmanship available. My career in the food space started when I was in high school and worked as an assistant instructor in community cooking classes on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Since then, my work has taken me through a formal culinary school program, to Michelin starred kitchens, private homes, local farms and a small vineyard in France. I’ve worked fields, conducted empirical studies on food and eating cultures, taught kids to peel veggies, cooked multi-course dinners for high paying guests and pop up meals for non paying guests, orchestrated small events, consulted individuals on natural wine purchases, earned a master’s degree in nutrition and dietetics from Hunter College and became a Registered Dietitian. Food for me is about celebration in a way that’s comforting and nourishing. Since those early days when I was rewarded with a cold glass of Motts, most of my personal life’s milestones have been marked by food in some way. In all applications of my work, I use my education in health supportive cooking techniques and nutrition science to create experiences that feed the physical body as much as they do the emotional side, or soul, if you will. Here’s to eating yourself happy!

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