Los Angeles native Chef Ben Diaz has always had a fascination with cooking which stemmed from watching his father (an already accomplished chef himself) cooking and making breakfast. “Watching my dad cook breakfast and seeing the passion he had for his craft really inspired me,” says Chef Ben. Chef Ben is a graduate of the prestigious California School of Culinary Arts. He is a coveted freelance chef and consultant who had been inducted into the “Les Amis d’Escoffier Society”, Cambridge “Who’s Who of Culinary Professionals”, and “World Master Chefs Society”. Chef Ben holds six certifications, including Master Certified Food Executive and Certified Food and Beverage Executive. He has worked alongside the world’s top chefs as a member of the Los Angeles Chefs de Cuisine Association. Chef Ben is also a published author of “From a Cook To a Professional Chef”, a culinary reference book that he launched in 2010. He also finds time in his busy schedule to work with local charities, most notably the Boys and Girls Club of San Gabriel and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in Irvine. Chef Ben has worked in some of the best restaurants in Southern California including The Silver Trumpet, JW Marriott, and The Luxe City Center where the main focus was on fresh seasonal and locally grown produce. Currently Chef Ben is the executive chef at Toca Madera West Hollywood, director of Especias Pura Vida Gourmet Salts Co., and director of culinary innovation at CBD cuisine consulting services & catering division. Chef Ben's new projects include a cookbook focusing on small plates, culinary council board member for the Chefs de Cuisine Association of California, and brand ambassador for Turbo Pot, Alliance Group, and Messermeister. Ben is an award winning chef. His most notable awards are for World Chard Champion (pork division), ACFLA Chef of the Year 2019, and San Diego Food Fest Grand Champion with appearances on Food Network's Chef Wanted, Cutthroat Kitchen, and most recent winner of Cooking Channel's Farmers' Market Flip.