Chef Gaby, Neighbor

I’m a professional chef and a happy mother of an 8 year old little girl who keeps me on my toes. I own a Personal Chef & Private Functions Company called “Chef Gaby” in Iowa City, Iowa. A Personal Chef comes to your home and cooks meals for the week in one day, entertains your private dinner party or teaches you a private cooking lesson. It’s like having a personal trainer in your home! The experience is tailored to the needs of each client. I help people re-build their relationship with food. It is a pretty sweet gig! The best part, I have full control of my hours. Restaurant’s late night hours are long gone!  

I was born in Venezuela and ever since I can remember, cooking has been my passion. My mother owned a restaurant when I was growing up. There was nothing more exciting to me, than being behind the scenes. I remember her dragging me out of the kitchen several times. I would often sneak back in to wash dishes or help the chef garnish a plate (which happens to be my favorite thing today) hoping she wouldn’t notice I was there. Whether at the Restaurant or in the kitchen with grandma, cooking was and still is my calling.

Travelling has made a great impact on my career also. I have been fortunate enough to travel throughout the world; I love to explore new cultures through their food and ways of eating. It is quite fun coming back to base to play with new techniques and flavors.

I am a huge advocate of local foods. I make great efforts both personally and professionally, to integrate and simplify the connection between local foods and the everyday life. I love to garden! I enjoy meeting farmers and paying a visit to their farm. Telling my clients that I KNOW where their food came from, is of incredible importance to me.