Galya comes to her food prowess quite naturally, part of a time-honoured family tradition passed down from one generation to the next. As a young girl in Jerusalem, she learned through osmosis by way of her mother and grandmother. Both attached great importance to the role of food in the life of a family.  Both loved taking Galya to Jerusalem’s main food market to purchase fresh ingredients for meals and special treats. Both were sources of boundless inspiration and creativity in the kitchen, exposing Galya to a wonderful world of possibilities.

Since then, Galya has been on a continuous journey, expanding her culinary horizons. When she moved to Paris in her early 20s, she gained tremendously from studying French cuisine and soaking in the local appreciation for all things gastronomic.

After a five-year sojourn in Paris, Galya returned to her roots in Israel, settling in her home-town of Jerusalem. It reunited her with the original sources of her near-obsession with Israeli food and further strengthened her already strong command of the subject.

This life-long love affair with Israeli cooking has served her well since she moved to Canada and began sharing her talents and knowledge with people in Toronto through her private catering, culinary workshops and often with countless guests (family and friends) invited for dinner at home.

For all her remarkable aptitude with Israeli cuisine, Galya remains an eternal student, always eager to learn more, ready to experiment, trying new recipes, reading books, watching food programs on TV, speaking to chefs, and welcoming feedback from those who taste her creations. It’s all part of a culinary quest, from which our family has benefited immensely as have countless other people with whom Galya has shared her passion for food.