Ridgefielder of the Week: Liz Gagnon

Name:  Chef Liz Gagnon       

Age: 46

Occupation: Executive Chef at Nature's Temptations 

After working several years in the garment industry, I found my way to the Natural Gourmet Institute for Food and Healing. As a "french-fry vegetarian" it was an eye opening experience. After graduating, I went to work as a private chef for several celebrities and high profile corporate executives.                              

From there I started a home delivery service for organic prepared meals. The business grew over the next several years, and in 1995 I was recruited to develop a similar business for King Fahad's dughter-in-law and several princesses in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. After spending a year cooking for the Royal Family, I returned home a chef -- the culinary experience was immeasurable, and my passion for Middle Eastern cooking was born!

I spent the next 5 years developing my home delivery service -- I rented a commercial kitchen in Yonkers, New York, and had several delivery trucks delivering my prepared meals around the tri-state area. I had a large customer base in Battery Park in downtown New York City. 

In 2001, I lost 2/3 of my business when the World Trade Center was attacked. Over the next 8 days my crew and I made and delivered just over 3,000 sandwiches to different areas around Manhattan, supporting the recovery efforts.

I took two and a half years off from cooking after that, but one day while driving into Ridgefield to see my family, I stopped by Nature's Temptations to speak to the owner, Jeff Konchalski. 

I went to discuss the possibility of helping him find a chef for his deli department in his Cross River store. What was meant to be a short conversation turned into two hours of comparing notes about an industry we had dedicated our lives too.

That was June 2004, and by September of that year I was working for Jeff as the chef of Nature's Temptations.     

How long have you been in Ridgefield?  

Jeff and I have a great business relationship -- he is the visionary of Nature's Temptations and I have helped him turn his visions into reality. 

In 2006, Jeff came to me with the idea of bringing the prepared food to Ridgefield. He wanted to build a bigger store and feature the food and catering department. We planned and created the new store for one and a half years, wrote a business plan and went to work remodeling and building a 6,000-square-foot space in the upstairs of the Italian American Club on Prospect Street. Since Jeff and I are both Italian, it felt as if we were home. Now our Ridgifield community had a place to go for all their supplements, organic food, produce and groceries. Since 2007, I have spent the majority of my time in Ridgefield. 

Nature's Temptations is my second home. I know for many of our customers they feel the same way. There is something special about an independently owned store. There is a sense of community, a place you can come to share life experiences, care and support one another.  We know our customers by name, and they know ours -- we get to know their children, cater for their family's most special moments, help them through illnesses and solve the world's problems!

I have heard the statement, "Do what you love and everything else will take care of itself;" well, I love what I do, I have a beautiful supprotive community to work in, and Nature's Temptations is a place to share my craft with the community.     

What is your favorite place to go in Ridgefield?

The Ridgefield Playhouse -- my husband often meets me after work to see the concerts. Also, Tuesday nights at Ballard park, we love to take our daughter to the concerts during the summer. And The Ridgfield Guild of Artists -- love their exhibits

Why Ridgefield?

I love working in a small community. My work at Nature's Temptations is rewarding because I get to cook for a community of people who care about what they feed themselves and their family.