by Eileen Swee Lian Goh

Created on: January 18, 2009   Last Updated: July 16, 2010

Since the 1990s, the culinary profession has seen the rise of many talented chefs to celebrity status alongside film actors and actresses and pop musicians. Among these are:-

1. Mario Batali. This Iron Chef America regular was introduced to the culinary world as a dishwasher at a New Jersey restaurant, Stuff Yer Face, where he rose quickly to become a pizza cook. After dropping out of the Le Cordon Bleu culinary institute in London, Batali spent three years as a chef's apprentice at the northern Italian village of Borgo Capanne, where he developed his strategy of using only the best quality and freshest ingredients in season for his Italian cuisines. Believing that too many flavors spoil the dish, Batali keeps his recipes simple. An affectionate personality, he hosts the Food Network's "Molto Mario" and "Ciao America" shows. Batali also co-owns a chain of restaurants in New York City, and, with an estimated annual income of USD 3 million, ranks in sixth place in Forbes' 2008 list of the top ten most successful chefs.

2. Bobby Flay. Another Iron Chef regular, Flay received his education from the French Culinary Institute and specializes in gourmet grilling. He is renowned for incorporating traditionally French ingredients such as avocados, beans and chili peppers into his south-western cuisines. Flay is the host of the Food Network's "BBQ with Bobby Flay", "Boy Meets Grill", "Food Nation" and "Throwdown with Bobby Flay" shows, and a regular judge in "The Next Food Network Star". Also a restaurateur and with an estimated annual income of USD 1.5 million, Bobby Flay ranks ninth in Forbes' 2008 list of the top ten most successful chefs.

3. Jamie Oliver. At the tender age of 8 years, Jamie Oliver began his culinary career peeling the potatoes in his family's pub, The Cricketers, in Britain. A graduate of Westminster Catering College, Oliver rose to celebrity status as the personable host of the British culinary shows, "The Naked Chef", "Oliver's Twist" and "Jamie's Kitchen". Oliver believes in keeping his recipes simple but stresses the use of only the best quality, preferably organic ingredients. He is also a socially active individual and is associated with the "Feed Me Better" campaign in England, which led to the emphasis on healthier school lunches in the country, as well as the non-profit restaurant, Fifteen, in London, which is aimed at training unemployed youths in the culinary arts. In 2003, Oliver was made a Member of the British Empire (M.B.E.).

Mario Batali, Bobby Flay and Jamie Oliver have three common attributes in addition to being culinary specialists - their originality, creativity and dedication to their profession.

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