From award-winning restaurants and luxury hotels to private cheffing and event catering, Los Angeles offers aspiring culinarians countless ways to build a career.

Welcome to “ Vital Names,” a series of articles spotlighting influential chefs and culinary landmarks whose names are not as widely known as they should be, and whose impact on America’s foodways has been overlooked, misattributed or appropriated. Throughout June, to mark the world’s annual observation of Pride Month, we honor the LGBTQIA+ community.

For many chefs, cooking at Noma is the dream job. This was certainly true for Dan Giusti, the former head chef of the lauded three-Michelin starred eatery that made five appearances in the number one spot on the annual World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

The FIFA World Cup doesn't just transform stadiums. It transforms restaurants, bars, bakeries and neighborhoods. This summer, fans across New York and New Jersey will gather to cheer on teams from around the globe. They'll celebrate victories, debate matchups and connect with cultures through food.

Summer corn doesn't need much help. At its peak, it's sweet, juicy and one of the season's greatest pleasures.

Across my 20-year career opening, operating and consulting on more than 30 food and beverage concepts in the U.S. and abroad, the tools used to power the industry have changed dramatically.

Carolina Buchanan Higuera didn’t set out to work in food. She was a graphic designer — trained, working, settled into a career path that made sense on paper. But something wasn’t clicking. That realization eventually led her to change careers and graduate from the Institute’s LA campus.

Ten years ago, few non-culinarians knew what fermentation was. Today, it’s everywhere: on menus, in product lines and across social media.