Food brings people together. Whether it’s a group of culinary students testing out the perfect pie crust, hungry dinner guests crowding around a buffet table, or market shoppers gathering over bushels of just-ripe heirloom tomatoes, cooking builds community.

Kayleigh Walsh was a student in the Natural Gourmet Institute's Chef's Training Program and a 2017 recipient of the Live Más Scholarship, which is awarded by the Taco Bell Foundation to top innovators, creators and dreamers nationwide.

With its signature green splotches, kabocha squash is prized for its sweet, nutty flavor and creamy texture. Enjoy it warm straight from the baking pan, or dress it up with bitter radicchio ribbons, juicy pomegranate seeds and toasted pecans.

For over 40 years, Natural Gourmet Institute (NGI) promoted the health benefits of eating a plant-centric diet for environmental, health and humanitarian benefits.