Hugh Acheson is a celebrity chef and owner of three restaurants in Georgia. He is also a judge on Top Chef and a cookbook author.
1971-
1960-
James Beard was a chef, television personality and food writer who many consider the father of American-style gourmet cooking.
1903-1985
Chef, TV host, author. Chef Anthony Bourdain moved out of the kitchen to become a bestselling author and TV personality, gaining wider fame with his unique culinary worldview.
1956-
Alton Brown is best known as a celebrity chef, best-selling author and award-winning Food Network star.
1962-
1784-1833
TV chef and author Julia Child adapted complex French cooking for everyday Americans, with her groundbreaking cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
1912-2004
Tom Colicchio is a restaurateur and author who stars in the award-winning reality TV show Top Chef.
1962-
Giada De Laurentiis has won over TV audiences with her appetizing and accessible cooking shows, including Everyday Italian and Giada at Home.
1970-
Paula Deen is best known for her Food Network shows on Southern cooking, including Paula's Home Cooking, Paula's Party and Paula's Best Dishes.
1947-
Rocco DiSpirito is an American celebrity chef best known for his cooking show The Melting Pot and reality show The Restaurant.
1966-
1846-1935
A winner of Next Food Network Star, Guy Fieri now hosts several television shows, including Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
1968-
Bobby Flay's frequent appearances and shows on the Food Network have now made him one of America's best known chefs.
1964-
Tyler Florence is best known for hosting Food Network's Food 911, How to Boil Water, Tyler's Ultimate and The Great Food Truck Race.
1971-
Bethenny Frankel starred on the reality-TV show The Real Housewives of New York City and two spinoffs. She also launched the brand Skinnygirl.
1970-
1934-
Emeril Lagasse is a celebrity chef best known as the host of the television show Emeril Live, his lines of products and restaurants, and his catchphrases.
1959-
1970-
Sandra Lee is best known for hosting the Food Network shows Semi-Homemade Cooking and Sandra's Money Saving Meals. She is also the girlfriend of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
1966-
Jamie Oliver is a British chef best known for his television series The Naked Chef and for campaigning for healthier diets in school children.
1975-
Wolfgang Puck is a chef who expanded his purview into running restaurants, writing cookbooks and hosting cooking shows.
1949-
Jacques Pépin is a chef and the host of cooking shows on public television. He is also an author, columnist and former guest judge on the Bravo show Top Chef.
1935-
Hot-tempered chef Gordon Ramsay owns a number of successful restaurants but is best known as the star of television series Hell's Kitchen.
1966-
1968-
Colonel Sanders is best known for creating a fried chicken recipe that would become the world's fast-food chicken chain, Kentucky Fried Chicken.
1890-1980
Gail Simmons has worked as host of Top Chef: Just Desserts and a judge on Top Chef. A food writer and expert, she has also worked as a special projects manager at Food & Wine.
1976-
Curtis Stone is best known as the co-host of Bravo's Top Chef Masters and Around the World in 80 Plates.
1975-
Chef Tell was one of the first culinary celebrities, giving cooking demonstrations on television beginning in the 1970s.
1943-2007
Dave Thomas is best known for founding the Wendy's hamburger restaurant chain. He became the company's TV spokesman in 1989.
1932-2002
Pastry chef Jacques Torres is best known for his mastery of cooking and baking with chocolate. He is often referred to as "Mr. Chocolate" and owns seven chocolate shops.
1960-