The Starving Actor, Los Angeles

Before Brandi became the culinary mastermind behind The Starving Actor, she spent the first part of her life as a successful playwright. Working with a bumper crop of young actors gave her a real appreciation for the ambition and risks it takes to make it. That's when she jumped head-first into her true passion: creating fresh, gourmet food that even a struggling actor could afford.

Today, she runs the kitchen at The Starving Actor, whipping up healthy comfort food that runs that gamut from fried free-range chicken sandwiches to Cajun shrimp 'n' grits filled with fresh bell peppers. She also creates more indulgent dishes, such as her famous chicken wings drenched in her house-made hot sauce. And for dessert, she pays homage to the sweet treat that helped her launch her career: hand-made funnel cakes.