Who is your favorite chef?

[Hopz]

My favorite chef is the lady I have been married to for 42 years...

Other than her, I'd vote for Alton Brown, followed by Sara Molton, by the guy in Memphis at Interstate BBQ.

 

[Constance]

I've been thinking about this. I'd have to pick Mario Batali as number one chef, because everything he prepares looks like manna from heaven. But he cooks with a lot of ingredients that I either cannot find or can't afford.
I like Emeril's style of cooking, too. He explores a wider variety of cuisines, but he also uses a lot of very pricey ingredients.
Ina is great...she can make even something simple, like macaroni and cheese, into an elegant treat. She also uses a wide variety of foods.
Paula is a wonderful, down to earth cook, who could fix you a great meal out of an empty pantry. She's also the Queen of Desserts, in my book.
I love Giada. Her every day style of cooking is practical, she uses ingredients that are readily available, and everything she makes looks tasty. Her desserts kinda leave me cold, though.
I like Michael Chiorelli, too. He comes up with some very imaginative entertaining ideas, and while some of his recipes are too "off the wall" for me, some of them are outstanding.

 

[lulu]

Really hard. As far as TV goes I would say Nigella Lawson. I love all her books and I think her requirements of food are similar to mine, she wants to feed her mind as well as her body and I feel she entertains in quite a similar (though more expensive!) way than me. I like her unfussy yet beautiful approach to things, too. She is not a chef though...a cook ad food writer only.

Chefs are harder. I think I would really have to say that a lot of DC members really inspire me.

I just deleted a bit where I name some names - I did not want to embarass anybody

 

[califlorican]

For TV chefs, I like Giada and Alton Brown.

 

[silentmeow]

The tip of your thumb or the cleaver??

Ya got me there! Cleaver on the wall. Thumb healed but looks funny at the right angle! I shoud have hung the finger tip up, I'd never have to worry about cooking for anyone ever again! Thanks for the laugh.

 

[ChefJune]

I don't watch much TV, but I always liked Alton Brown's take on things.

Alton Brown is not a chef, altho he is a grad of NECI. He more fits the description of a "Culinary Educator." He has never cooked in a restaurant, that I know of...

My favorite chefs who are visible on TV are Jacques Pepin, the consummate professional (both chef and teacher), and Lidia Bastianich.

 

[ncage1974]

im going to have to...

I'm going to have to give bourdain a try. I have only seen his show on FoodTV (the one where he travels around to different countries and has to eat some pretty gross stuff) like i remember him eating insects in mexico but he seems to be very highly recommended and his cookbooks have excellent reviews.

Ncage

 

[BreezyCooking]

I think I'd have to split this.

For chef's/cooks now deceased, I'd of course have to say Julia Child. Not only did she make traditional French cooking readily available to the rest of the world, but she had no problems with reinventing it when health modes changed.

For current chef's/cooks, I'd vote for Sara Moulton. Her recipes are both basic & traditional, easy to prepare, & she has managed to avoid succumbing to the idiocy that is pretty much the rest of Food Network. I try to never miss her show.

 

[Andy M.]

Hands down, Jacques Pepin.

I also respect Julia Child and Mario Batali for their knowledge, skill and teaching ability.

I learned my early cooking skills from TV. Thanks to Jeff Smith, Martin Yan and Julia for that.

 

[Yakuta]

Martin Yan - For Entertainment and Technique
Jamie Oliver - For his Creativity and willingness of experiment (his cookbooks are a fine example of that)
Caprial Pence - For uncomplicating fancy terms and recipes like hollandaise long before food network was born. I learnt to make a perfect hollandaise from her.
Jacques Pepin - For explaining how to fix two or three meals from a single ingredient and how to keep it interesting. I have yet to see a food tv celebrity chef take it to the level Jacque did, these folks assume organic and micro greens, gourmet cheeses and fine cuts of meat are just normal items that everyone should have access to (perfect example Racheal Rays triple washed spinach )