For those of us whose marrow and minds are often rule by our tum , a truly rattling repast can turn even the dreaded of mean solar day into a delightful one . America ’s compulsion with food and all things related has never been more apparent than now , thanks to the embarrassment of wildly popular cooking program line and contest television shows , well - selling cookbooks and culinary entanglement site that command more dealings than many other pop situation combined .
Behind the rush in intellectual nourishment - related entertainment are a smattering of fame chefs that get personality , culinary know - how and a dash of intrigue to the dinner table .
We ’ve accumulate a list of 10 of the most well - know and influential fame chefs rule the marketplace today . The true test of their celebrity status ? Even if you ’ve never sat down to view a preparation show , you probably be intimate who many of these food fiend are .
Read the next Thomas Nelson Page to get word about the very first renown chef .
10: Julia Child
Before many of our celebrity chefs were even stomach , Julia Child launched the television cooking craze that has help perpetuate today ’s food - centered networks and culinary personality .
Child , who go at age 91 in 2004 , became an improbable renown chef follow the 1961 publication of her book " Mastering the Art ofFrench Cooking . " The cookbook was followed up with television visual aspect that establish her to international renown , setting the stage for future fame chefs . Sure , most of us are n’t going to try our mitt at youngster ’s Boeuf Bourguignon or Lobster Thermidor anytime shortly , but it ’s decent to recognise we have the selection !
Child ’s celebrity status continued to thrive long after her passing with the expiration of the major gesture picture " Julie & Julia , " based on a rule book about an everyday woman who committed herself to the daunting labor of cooking every recipe find in " Mastering . " Although Child convey miscellaneous opinions of the book ( the movie was released after her death ) , it helped introduce her study and remarkable character to a new contemporaries of rooter .
9: Gordon Ramsay
Many chefs would be thrill with a successful eating place or two , or perhaps a duad of widely understand cookbooks . Gordon Ramsay , however , has all this and more . He takes life as a professional celebrity chef up a pass – or 10 .
Born in Scotland and rear in England , Ramsay boasts multiple successful restaurant around the world , include the aptly - named Gordon Ramsay , Petrus and Boxwood Café . Clearly not contented to simply demo his mad cooking skills for an hearing , Ramsay has serve as the illustrious legion of the U.K. ’s " Kitchen Nightmares " and the pop show " Hell ’s Kitchen . " He ’s also presently grueling at work hosting and attend to as executive manufacturer of " MasterChef . " But if you desire real proof of his celebrity status , look no further than the 2011 episode of " The Simpsons " titled " The Food Wife , " where he seem ( in quicken form , of class ) as himself . You know a chef ’s a true celebrity once he ’s been in a sketch .
8: Nigella Lawson
Those wily executive director at Food web know exactly what they ’re doing . By bring British Captain Cook Nigella Lawson on display panel as a tv personality , they undoubtedly gyrate in an audience of men who enjoy the double threat of a beautiful woman and good cooking . The exotic accent does n’t hurt , either .
Lawson , who has also appeared on the Style connection , Cooking Channel and E ! , has author eight cookery - centered books , selling more than 6 million copies worldwide . Lawson ’s success is even more amazing consider the fact that she never attend culinary school . In fact , she graduated from Oxford University in 1979 with a degree in Medieval and Modern Languages . Eventually , her career as a journalist led to a position as a food editor at British Vogue , which launched her life history as a in public acclaimed author and foodie .
7: Anthony Bourdain
An expertFrench chefby swap , Bourdain is known for his pungent mental capacity and utter honesty concerning all thing food- and chef - interrelate ( he ’s particularly unresolved regarding his feelings toward fellow celeb cook Rachael Ray ) . presently , Bourdain is the Chef - at - large at Les Halles in New York City ; however , he has no plans to open any other restaurants anytime soon , citing his age and the hectic tread of restaurant life as the main factor .
Instead , Bourdain favor to travel the globe as host of the Travel Channel ’s hit series " No Reservations " and " The Layover , " try and providing his expert opinion on a kitchen range of international " delicacies " that would terrify the respite of us . These exotic dish are a far cry from escargot , which many even people chance intimidating . Nope , Bourdain has taste everything from raw seal of approval orb to sour shark to warthog rectum . That ’s right , rectum . That ’s not to say that he enjoyed all these dishes , but he try them , which has to count for something !
6: Bobby Flay
Flay ’s telly career is storied and telling , having start out out on Food web in 1994 . Currently , he ’s most well - known for his presence on " Iron Chef America , " a popular cooking challenger show , as well as for being the host of " The Next Food internet Star . "
Known for high - end restaurants like New York City ’s Mesa Grill , Flay has branched out into the more affordable culinary sector with his pop chain of burger articulation , competently named " Bobby ’s Burger Palace . " Who tell good preparation has to follow with a sizeable price tag ? Menu point include onion rings , odorous spud fries and the Crunchburger , which is topped with spud chips and pickle .
This Iron Chef ’s artistry does n’t terminate with boob tube and restaurant , though . He ’s written a dozen cookery book over the years and is also an active philanthropist for a variety of worthy causes .
5: Tom Colicchio
Tom Colicchio is a relative neophyte on the celebrity scene , but he ’s been a fixture in the restaurant world for many years . While Colicchio is acknowledge best for his role as the server of Bravo ’s " Top Chef , " he cemented his position as a restaurateur when he opened the democratic Gramercy Tavern in New York City in 1994 . He then went on to make the Craft family of restaurants , which now have outpost all over the land . Colicchio is known for his no - nonsense , low - drama conduct , which translates well to his style of cooking .
As anyone who ’s ever eat at one of the Craft restaurant can order you , Colicchio ’s recipes tend to focalise on single ingredient that are ready simply and served family - mode , emphasizing the craftiness of cooking , rather than the art soma . The down - to - world " Coleek , " ( as he is fondly refer to by his fans ) firmly believes that salt and pepper is the most underrated flavouring combining , take a firm stand on roast center rather than grilling it and choose to furrow to some reggae while wangle up his feasts .
4: Paula Deen
With her stiff southern drawl and full-bodied personality , Paula Deen has emerged as a standout distaff celebrity chef in an diligence largely master by men . But she had to earn her winner .
Dean started a catering company making boxed-in lunches for local stage business , aptly identify The Bag Lady , and sent her sons to make the deliveries . This finally led to opening The Lady and Sons eating house in Savannah , Ga. , in 1996 . Subsequently , Deen was feature on an instalment of Oprah about women who started businesses in their home , but it was n’t until QVC sell 70,000 copies of her cookbook in one 24-hour interval that she sling into the mainstream . Her popular Food internet preparation show , " Paula ’s Home Cooking , " foster her celebrity status , especially because she portion out a account from her fascinating life about each of her looker . In add-on to her cooking shows and eatery , Deen ’s imperium also consists of a magazine and a line of bake mixes . In 2005 , she made her performing entry in Cameron Crowe ’s " Elizabethtown . "
3: Mario Batali
Mario Batali is well - known for his tractable television part and delectable Italian nutrient dishes , but he did n’t always aspire to be a chef . Batali attended Rutgers University , majoring in Spanish dramatics and business management with aspirations of move to Spain to be a banker . He suffer a job working as a dishwasher at the New Jersey restaurant Stuff Yer Face , and cursorily move up to pizza maker . It was during this clock time that he find his calling in the food cosmos .
After go to the Cordon Bleu in London , he spent three year cooking in a little township in Italy and discovered his mania for Italian food . Batali has developed a preparation mode that takes the life of traditionalItalian recipesand adapts them to seasonal ingredients that are usable locally . The success of Babbo , his Greenwich Village flagship restaurant , has led to multiple eating house venture as well as television appearances , cookbooks and a line of cookware . His signature uniform of short , orangish geta and the ever - present ponytail can be key out only as Molto Mario .
2: Emeril Lagasse
Emeril Lagasse is a certified megastar . He has a ego - titled land , which consists of multiple restaurants , cookbooks , television shows , packaged goods and a charitable foundation . Lagasse ’s well - branded empire is guardedly estimate to be worth more than $ 70 million and is the direct result of his hard work and doggedness .
As a teen , he worked at a Portuguese bakeshop in his New England hometown , where he memorize to make bread and pastries . He enrol in the culinary program at Johnson & Wales University , and at the age of 23 was declare oneself a occupation in New Orleans as the executive chef at the Commander ’s Palace restaurant . In 1990 , he " kicked it up a notch " by opening his first Emeril ’s Restaurant . Then in 1992 , the freshman Food connection came knocking .
He made his launching on the electronic internet with " Essence of Emeril , " for which Lagasse was in the beginning paid $ 50 per episode . His other show , " Emeril Live , " is now in syndication . The achiever of these two display put the Food internet on the function and made Lagasse a household name . His fans can take the stand that Emeril definitely gives you a lot of " bam ! " for your buck .
1: Wolfgang Puck
" hot , Love , Eat ! " is the trademarked battle cry of the passionate and renowned Wolfgang Puck , who has achieve celebrity condition as chef to the stars . Puck ’s vast empire is valued at more than $ 500 million and comprise of legion restaurants and cookbooks , a wrinkle of cookware and packaged goods , and a hop-skip catering business – which serve as the prescribed caterer of the Academy Awards Governor ’s Ball .
Puck was one of the first chef to use a combination ofFrench cookingtechniques with topically - grown ingredients and was credited with helping put California cuisine on the single-valued function . Throughout his far-famed life history , he has consistently watch over his simplistic creed of good solid food , friendly service and a nice environment . Puck has become one of the most successful American immigrants of the 20th century , but while he ’s know as an able man of affairs , his preference is to be in the kitchen . In addition to being a regular client on " Good Morning America " for the preceding 20 year , Puck has had several of his own telly specials and has made cameo appearances on legion situation comedy .
