About Elizabeth LaBau

I’m a pastry chef and food fiend who traded the bustling restaurant world for an equally crazy environment: my home kitchen. I loved making food for a living, but I grew tired of the repetition of making the same recipes over and over again. So I hung up my chef’s jacket and dove into the world of freelance recipe development, food writing, and food photography. Now I get to explore food from all angles, from the initial testing stages, to photographing the final product, to finding just the right words to convey the essence of the dish.

I’m based in Los Angeles, and between the abundant farmer’s markets, the array of ethnic grocery stores, and the amazing restaurants, I am never at a loss for culinary inspiration. Los Angeles is also home to beautiful scenery and miles of mountainous trails, so when I’m not in my kitchen, I can usually be found indulging my other great love, long-distance trail running. You can read more about my adventures running ultramarathons on my blog Running With Sugars.

I post my latest recipes, photographs, and sugar-induced ramblings over on my dessert blog, SugarHero!

Education and Experience

I attended Epicurean School of Culinary Arts in Los Angeles and completed the Professional Pastry program; however, I consider my true culinary education to have come from the years I spent as a pastry cook and chef in various Los Angeles restaurants, including Sweet Lady Jane, Town & Country, Krust Bakery, and Crumb Fairy Bakery.

I studied food writing with Patric Kuh, the restaurant critic for Los Angeles magazine and a 2011 James Beard Foundation Award Winner. I am a member of the Association of Food Journalists.

Media Exposure

My press experience includes:

  • A guest appearance on Daily CafĂ© Talk Show on cable channel RLTV. I talked about healthy Halloween candy and developed a sugar-free Halloween candy to demonstrate on the show.
  • Contributing food photographs and expert candy advice to Woman’s World magazine.
  • Press coverage (both writing and photography) of industry events like the Fancy Foods Show and the Sweets and Snacks Expo.
  • Producing, filming, and editing food tutorial videos for About.com.