5.03

Georges Auguste Escoffier

He is known as the "King of the Kitchen." He developed the kitchen brigade system, which assigns specific responsibilities to each person in the kitchen, such as the expediter or the garde manger. This helps everything in the kitchen run smoothly and more efficiently.

Marie-Antoine Carême

He is known for perfecting the recipes of exquisite French sauces. He coined the term "haute cuisine," which encompasses artistic displays, intricate meals, and refined culinary skills. His claim to fame was teaching a slew of other chefs who went on to be famous in their own right.

Julia Child

She had a cheery personality, a memorable voice, and a great sense of humor. Her culinary television shows and cookbooks promoted French cuisine and techniques among the American audience. She didn't discover her passion for cooking until her late 30s.

Fred Harvey

He linked the expansion of the railways to his Harvey House eateries. The restaurants, which began in the late 1800s, were erected around train stations across the United States to capitalize on the large groups of passengers.

Fernand Point

He is known as the "Father of modern French cuisine." His book, Ma Gastronomie, is one of his most well-known contributions. Using fresh, local ingredients, he produced lighter, healthier sauces. He refused to use ingredients that were even one day old.

Paul Bocuse

He created classic French dishes that were healthier and lighter. He also had a passion to teach young chefs. He passed away in 2018 holding the world record for maintaining three Michelin stars since 1965.

Ferdinand Metz

He is a Certified Master Chef who was the president of the Culinary Institute of America and won three world championships in a row leading the U.S. Culinary Olympic team.

Alice Waters

She was an advocate of sustainable agriculture, which includes using only the highest quality, fresh, local, seasonal food products in her restaurant called Chez Panisse.

Gordon Ramsay

As a teenager, Gordon set out to be a professional football (soccer) player. A devastating knee injury crushed his dreams, and he was forced to choose a new path for his life. He went on to earn a degree in hotel management. After training with leading chefs in London and France, he become head chef at a restaurant in London called Aubergine and quickly earned two Michelin stars. He currently has the prestigious honor of holding 7 Michelin stars, including 3 stars for his first self-owned restaurant called Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. He has held these stars since 1998, the longest in London history, and is one of only four chefs in the UK to maintain 3 stars. He is also the star of many popular cooking shows, such as MasterChef. If you want to learn more about Chef Ramsay, click here.

Bobby Flay

He had what may have seemed like a rough start, earning his GED instead of a high school diploma. He knew he needed to learn a skill to be successful in life, so he began his culinary journey learning from and working under skilled chefs. In 1991 he opened his first restaurant in New York City, Mesa Grill. His impressive resume boasts everything from successful restaurants all-across the US, to multiple Emmy Awards for his popular cooking shows, to James Beard Awards, to induction into the Culinary Hall of Fame and more! He may be most famous for his time on Iron Chef America. If you want to read more about Bobby Flay's career and accomplishments, click here.

Wolfgang Puck

His mother, who was a chef in Austria, taught him how to cook as a young boy. He began formal culinary training at the age of fourteen. He worked at some of France's finest restaurants as a young chef. When he was 24 years old, he moved to the Indianapolis. Then Los Angeles become his new home, where he rapidly attracted the attention of Hollywood's elite. Later he traveled to Las Vegas. His steakhouses, bistros, and quick-service restaurants are placed all over the world. He runs a successful catering business and can be seen on home shopping networks selling his cookware and other products. Click here to learn more about Wolfgang Puck.

Cat Cora

After studying biology and exercise physiology, she received her culinary training at the Culinary Institute of America. She is a chef, author, editor, humanitarian, TV star, and mother of six children. She founded a children's culinary school and earned "Teacher of the Year" She has been the executive chef for Bon Appetit magazine and was the first and only woman to appear on "Iron Chef America." Completing more firsts for women, she was the first female inducted into The American Academy of Chefs Culinary Hall of Fame. Cat is also the founder and president of Chefs for Humanity, and she co-founded the Chefs Move to Schools program with former First Lady Michelle Obama. Read more about Cat Cora's achievements here.

Nora Pouillion

She is the owner of the United States' first certified organic restaurant called Restaurant Nora, in Washington, DC. She is also involved with many environmental organizations.

Grant Achatz

In 2008, the James Beard Foundation named him Best Chef in the United States. He is a pioneer in molecular gastronomy, a contemporary culinary style that incorporates science into its unique preparation methods. Alinea, his restaurant, has been recognized as one of the greatest in the world.

Nancy Silverton

She has received James Beard honors as both a chef and pastry chef, making her one of the most well-known bakers in the profession. She founded La Brea Bakery, which rapidly grew to be one of the industry's largest bakeries and now sells products in supermarkets.

Marcus Samuelsson

He started opening restaurants in New York City while he was in his twenties and has written many cookbooks. Spices are the key element of his dishes which are heavily influenced by his Ethiopian heritage and his time growing up in Sweden.