Professional kitchens might be seen, by some, as a male domain, but these incredible women chefs, cookbook authors, and TV stars might have something to say about that. From Julia Child's groundbreaking French cooking (and unconventional presenting style) to Samin Nosrat's focus on contrasting flavors, here are 25 of the most influential female chefs who've helped to shape the way we cook and eat today.
America’s oldest Mexican restaurant, El Charro Café, was founded by Monica Flin, a brilliant chef who’s credited as being the inventor of the chimichanga. The story goes that the happy accident occurred when she dropped a burro (a type of burrito) into a frying pan, splashing oil everywhere. As she was surrounded by her nieces and nephews at the time, she cried out ‘chimichanga!’ (‘thingamajig!’) instead of swearing, and the crispy tortilla dish was born.
You might not instantly recognise her name but, Irma S. Rombauer’s The Joy of Cooking is one of the most published cookbooks of all time – and though it first came out in 1931, it can still be found in millions of American homes to this day. Aimed at the average home cook, this kitchen bible is filled with simple recipes, from holiday turkey dinners to vegetable side dishes and classic desserts. It’s been revised many times over the years but has never lost its charm, thanks to the input of Irma’s family members.
Known as the Grande Dame of Southern Cooking, Edna Lewis first made a splash in the 1940s when she opened Manhattan eatery Café Nicholson, a spot popular with celebrities who loved her down-home dishes. It’s her books, though, that really served to propel her into the spotlight: The Taste of Country Cooking, published in 1976, was the first recipe book by a Black woman to reach a nationwide audience. It’s part cookbook, part celebration of the author’s Southern hometown, and it’s a true American classic.
The chef whose story inspired a modern take on a fairytale. Tiana, the waitress who longed to open a restaurant of her own in Disney’s The Princess and the Frog, was based on none other than Leah Chase, New Orleans’ own Queen of Creole Cuisine. The late proprietor of Dooky Chase’s Restaurant, Leah served presidents and the Civil Rights Movement's Freedom Riders, and her legacy lives on: the restaurant is still open and thriving, offering the same delicious fare as it did back in the late 1940s, when Leah took the helm.
Another New Orleans-based chef, Willie Mae Seaton rose to fame in the 1950s when she opened Willie Mae’s Scotch House: the home of what some people call the best fried chicken in America. Willie Mae sadly passed away in 2015, but she received plenty of accolades within her lifetime, including a James Beard Award in 2005. Run by her granddaughter, Kerry Seaton Stewart, Willie Mae’s Scotch House is still open today – and the chicken is said to be as fantastic as ever. In 2022, it was announced that another location would be opening in Los Angeles.
Possibly the most famous food personality in American history, Julia Child brought French cuisine to the American masses. Her rise to superstardom started after the release of her 1961 book Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Thanks to her TV show The French Chef, in which she charmed audiences with her signature exclamation of “Bon appétit”, she was ubiquitous throughout the 1960s. Her popularity endures today, as the movie Julie & Julia and recent TV series Julia prove.
Joyce Chen didn’t single-handedly introduce Chinese food to the US, but she did teach many home cooks how to make their own healthy Chinese-inspired fare. She was born in Beijing but moved to the States in the 1950s, and soon opened her own chain of Chinese restaurants in the Boston area. In 1962 she published Joyce Chen Cook Book, which led her to hosting a cooking show on PBS (using Julia Child’s set).
Alice Waters and her Berkley, California restaurant Chez Panisse laid the foundations for the modern farm-to-table and market-fresh cooking movements. The restaurant seemed like a bit of a utopian experiment when it first opened in 1971, but the kitchen managed to work wonders with seasonal ingredients and an ever-changing menu. Chez Panisse is still open, and Alice is still recognized as having had a huge influence on the way many of us eat today.
In the 1970s, Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor wrote about things that the food media is only really starting to embrace now: cooking intuitively, and telling stories about identity and culture through food. Her 1970 book Vibration Cooking: or, The Travel Notes of a Geechee Girl is a landmark publication, combining personal narratives and loose recipes to paint a story of her life and the racialized nature of food and food culture.
Released in 1977, Mollie Katzen's groundbreaking Moosewood Cookbook – a book of recipes from her restaurant Moosewood in Ithaca, New York – helped to make vegetarianism mainstream. Considered a bible for plant-based eating, the hand-written, hand-illustrated, and spiral-bound book is responsible for introducing the likes of hummus to the American masses. Though the book is approaching 50 years old, it reportedly still sells 20,000 copies per year.
Back in the 1980s, Martha Stewart transformed herself from a former stockbroker into America’s queen of everything domestic. Martha's breakthrough book Entertaining came out in 1982, and by the end of the 1980s she had published several more – not to mention making regular appearances on national television. All of this paved the way for the Martha Stewart Living empire, which blossomed in the 1990s.
Jessica B. Harris is a food writer and historian who has dedicated her career to the exploration of America’s African diaspora through food. Her dozen cookbooks celebrate how food reflects Black culture, both in America and in Africa, the Caribbean, and other parts of the world. Each of her books not only tells the stories behind the recipes, but shows readers how food is an intersection of culture, history, and tradition.
A protégé of Julia Child, Sara Moulton is a prolific recipe developer, having worked as the on-air food editor at Good Morning America from 1997 to 2012, and also as the executive chef at Gourmet magazine throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Sara’s strength lies in her passion for teaching and helping regular Americans to become better home cooks.
One of America’s most beloved home cooks, Ina Garten has struck a chord with viewers and readers who appreciate her elegant and effortless approach to cooking. Her landmark The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook came out in 1999, named after a store in the Hamptons that she ran. Ina really gained traction in the early 2000s, though, as she continued to write cookbooks and launched the Barefoot Contessa television programme.
Rachael Ray was first introduced to the world by Oprah Winfrey in the mid-2000s, and even at that point the cookbook author and TV host had developed her signature bubbly style. Rachael's main contribution to the world of American cuisine is the quick and easy 30-minute meal. Her philosophy is that cooking shouldn’t be intimidating and that anyone can put together a delicious dinner without too much effort or expertize.
Foodies were thrilled when Food Network launched an American version of the Japanese TV series Iron Chef in 2005. Cat Cora was one of the original Iron Chefs, appearing on the show for its first 10 seasons. Her career has thrived both in front of and behind the camera: she’s opened nearly 20 restaurants over the years, and spends much of her time promoting wellness and sustainability, while also mentoring young women in the food industry.
The blogging age opened the door for many talented home cooks to turn their passions into full-time media careers. One of the greatest blogging success stories was Smitten Kitchen, a recipe website operated by a writer named Deb Perelman, based in New York City. Deb offered home cooks trustworthy recipes and charming commentary, a formula that eventually expanded into writing for major magazines and the publication of two cookbooks.
David Chang is the biggest star to come out of the Momofuku family of restaurants, but pastry chef Christina Tosi is a close second, thanks to her whimsical inventions like cereal milk ice cream and compost cookies. She started to work with Momofuku in an administrative role, but in 2008 David asked her to open Milk Bar, where she could exercise her creativity to create desserts for his restaurants. She’s since become a pastry superstar, with many of her desserts now considered classics.
Cooking competition shows were a huge phenomenon during the 2000s, and none were bigger than the still-popular Top Chef. Carla Hall, a chef originally from Nashville, wasn't the big Top Chef winner when she competed in 2008, but she did end up scoring a spot hosting The Chew, based on her skill and personality. Carla’s philosophy is that one should always cook with love, which is a cornerstone of her popularity and has led to work as a motivational speaker.
Marcela Valladolid is from San Diego, but has spent much time cooking and learning on the other side of the border in Tijuana, where she could better explore the traditional Mexican cuisine that she's built her career on. Her first TV show was in Spanish, but she crossed over to English-speaking audiences in 2009 with the release of her book Fresh Mexico – and her career has only grown since.
Few food bloggers have been able to cross over to mainstream audiences as successfully as Ree Drummond, better known as The Pioneer Woman. While many well-known food personalities have leaned toward fancier fine dining fare, Drummond’s specialty is home-style country recipes. Drummond started the site in 2006 and published her first cookbook in 2009, expanding to TV in the early 2010s.
A cookbook author, blogger, and educator, Andrea Nguyen has taught countless Americans about the beauty of traditional Vietnamese cooking. Her Viet World Kitchen website and multiple cookbooks are full of recipes for pho, banh mi, dumplings, and other dishes from Vietnam and other parts of Asia. Nguyen has taught home cooks that they don’t have to go to a restaurant to have a delicious and fresh Vietnamese-style meal.
Cookbook author and New York Times Magazine columnist Dorie Greenspan often gets serious in the kitchen and many of her recipes push home cooks out of their comfort zones. But her joy for food shines through and makes her aspirational recipes feel like anything but a chore. A New Yorker who lives part-time in France, Greenspan brings French inspiration to American cooks in a new and refreshing way.
Charming Food Network audiences since 2005, Sunny Anderson’s power lies in her ability to make everyday home-cooked meals seem fun and interesting. A former radio DJ, Anderson’s bright personality and approachable recipes have helped regular Americans feel comfortable and confident in their own kitchens.
The author of the extraordinary book Salt Fat Acid Heat and host of the accompanying Netflix series, chef and food writer Samin Nosrat is an unassuming and enthusiastic guide to the wide world of food and flavor. She got her start as a chef at Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse in Berkley, California, but her curiosity about food and culture has led her explore food around the world, sharing her findings with equally food-curious Americans.