Jessica Darakjian is a Southern California based culinary producer and cook with a passion for culinary exploration. Her journey began as a teenage vegetarian, navigating the kitchen solo and mastering the art of combining flavor and nutrition. Over the years, her curiosity has led her to delve into baking, whole animal butchery, cheese making, fermentation, and gardening, embracing every aspect of food creation both professionally and personally. Her years spent sourcing local and seasonal produce in Southern California to incorporate into menus for Cookbook Market left a lasting mark on her culinary style. With a decade of experience cooking for cookbook shoots, Jessica has refined her skills and expanded her culinary horizons, drawing inspiration from diverse cultures and flavors. Her love for travel further fuels her quest to incorporate different techniques and flavors into all her cooking and reinforces her belief that food is the universal language that unites us all.