The chef at Gaia Gourmet is myself, Laura Heifetz, a native New Yorker. I attended the Natural Gourmet Cookery School, founded by AnnMarie Colbin, where I completed the Chef Training Program in early 2004. I have always had a love for cooking natural foods, experimenting with all kinds of fresh produce and health food products on my own and creating gourmet-style meals for myself and my friends. I always dreamed of attending a cooking school and turning my passion into a career.

When I first heard of the Natural Gourmet Cookery School, located right here in New York City,  I knew I had to attend. At the NGCS, I developed my skills as a chef, with a focus on health-supportive cooking, from learning about various diets, to cooking for those who are ill, to creating balanced meals that are delicious, satisfying, and healthy.

I have practiced my skills at the Lower East Side restaurant and catering space, Dish, assisting with catered parties by preparing food, as well as teaching guests how to put together their own meals. I have also assisted with public cooking classes at Makor, a Jewish culture center on the Upper West Side, including one called "Superfast, Superhealthy," focusing on delicious, healthy meals in under 30 minutes. I also completed an internship as a class assistant with Project Reach Youth, a program that teaches underprivileged teenagers real-world culinary skills.

Since graduating from the NGCS in 2004, I have worked as a personal chef, private caterer, and prepared foods chef for Whole Foods, as well as a wonderful gourmet foods store in Brooklyn.  I have practiced natural foods cooking for small and large scale production, and find that I enjoy working for private families most.

I feel certain that I can provide you and your family with the meals you need. Bringing a wide variety of culinary skills to the table, I am eager to work with you to design the perfect diet for you.

Gaia Gourmet is my dream: cooking local and seasonal ingredients, using nature's gifts without exploiting them. I believe in exploring flavors from around the world to enhance the natural beauty of our own bounty.

Welcome to Gaia Gourmet!