Chef Trinidad Silva is a tenured full-time faculty member and the Culinary Arts Department Chair at Los Angeles Mission College. A California native, he has spent the past 30 years living his dream of being a chef. For Chef Silva, cooking is far more than a profession—it is a way of connecting with others and bringing joy to his community through meaningful culinary experiences. He has been cooking since he was young enough to need a chair to reach the stove and has carried that early passion throughout his life. Dedicated to working with seasonal and local ingredients, he insists on using only razor-sharp knives in the kitchen. Those who know him are well aware of his commitment to nurturing his sourdough starter, a practice that allows him to craft exceptional artisanal breads and pizza dough.
His culinary journey has taken him throughout Asia, Latin America, and North America, where he has explored new cultures, cuisines, and cooking techniques. Before joining the faculty at Los Angeles Mission College, Chef Silva taught Culinary and Baking at Le Cordon Bleu – Los Angeles for more than 10 years. His professional background also includes serving as Executive Chef for The Nature Conservancy, where he lived for several years on an island preserve and cooked for philanthropists, artists, rock stars, and lawmakers. He has worked in high-end restaurants, private clubs, hotels, catering companies, and bakeries in the Santa Barbara and Montecito areas of California.
Chef Silva holds an Associate of Science degree in Hotel, Restaurant, and Culinary Arts from Santa Barbara City College, as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in Hotel Restaurant Management from the New England Culinary Institute. Outside the kitchen, he enjoys hiking, wilderness backpacking, playing blues guitar and harmonica, and gardening.
Chef Silva is grateful for the opportunity to teach and mentor the next generation of culinarians at the Culinary Arts Institute at Los Angeles Mission College. SILVAJT@lamission.edu