Ladies Of The Kitchen

In honor of International Women’s Day, I thought it would be fitting to celebrate the ladies of the kitchen, and their pioneering spirits. For any of you who have ever worked in a professional kitchen, you know they are predominantly run by men, even today, though that is changing, thanks to these strong ladies who led the way. These ladies are ranked as the top 10 Ladies of The Kitchen, who paved the way for all other women to follow. Thank you Ladies. We owe it all to you.

Betty Crocker

Betty Crocker is known as the first lady of food. She started this reign almost 100 years ago. Betty Crocker has been a leading brand for General Mills since 1921, when the fictional character was created to present a friendly face and name to personalize the company. Known for baked goods, over 200 Betty Crocker cookbooks have been released, establishing Betty as a trusted household name. 

Stephanie Izard

In six seasons of Bravo’s popular competition television series Top Chef, there has been only one female winner. Izard is the former chef and owner of Scylla in Chicago, known for its upscale seafood. She calls seafood her specialty, telling Bravo she’s amazed the same fish can be cooked in so many different ways. She recently opened The Drunken Goat in Chicago, with a menu of shared plates influenced by Spanish and Italian flavors.

Irma Rombauer

As author of world-famous The Joy of Cooking, few women have contributed as much to the food industry. When the homemaker was widowed in the early 1930s, she took half of the money left to her and self-published 3,000 copies of her book. Publisher Bobbs Merrill produced the first edition nationwide in 1936. It is now one of the most-printed cookbooks in the nation and has sold more than 18 million copies worldwide.

Cristeta Comerford

In 2005, Laura Bush appointed Comerford White House Executive Chef, making her the first woman to hold the prestigious position. Comerford was recently reappointed by Michelle Obama because of her emphasis on healthy eating. The Filipino-American holds a B.S. in food technology from the University of the Philippines and has worked in fine dining for 26 years. Before holding the top position, she served as assistant chef to the Clinton administration.

Dione Lucas

Englishwoman Lucas was the first woman to land a television cooking show, making her one of the most influential food celebrities. She was also the very first woman to graduate from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Lucas opened a restaurant in London and a restaurant and cooking school in New York before beginning her show, To The Queen’s Taste, on CBS in 1948. She has written that she cooked stuffed squab for Adolf Hitler, asking that it not be held against the “fine recipe.”

Cat Cora

As the first and only female Iron Chef on the prime-time competition show Iron Chef America, Cora reminds viewers that women, too, are masters of the culinary arts. The Mississippi-bred chef developed a business plan to own her own restaurant at age 15, and enrolled in The Culinary Institute of America a few years later. After several prestigious internships and positions, she landed roles on early Food Network shows Melting Pot and Kitchen Accomplished. She was dubbed Iron Chef in 2005.

Padma Lakshmi

This former model and actress took the national stage as host of Bravo’s reality food competition show, Top Chef. Lakshmi got her start in the food world by writing cookbooks, which she told ForbesWoman was the result of interest over what models ate. Her exotic Indian heritage and sizzling good looks helped her secure hosting roles on Padma’s Passport and Planet Food, while she also pursues other passions, like her namesake jewelry line that launched last year.

Martha Stewart

Brief stints as a Wall Street stockbroker and owner of a catering business gave this home chef all the skills she needed to reap über success. Her aspirational brand, with a penchant for baking and home beautification, offered viewers an escape from the everyday. Keen business skills led her to launch Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, which controls award-winning magazines, television and radio shows, bestselling books and mass-market product lines sold at K-Mart and Macy’s.

Rachel Ray

Known for her lack of culinary training and knack for inventing words (E.V.O.O., yum-o and stoup, come to mind), this unlikely icon now powers a media empire. With her girl-next-door appeal, Ray was chosen in 2001 to host a Food Network show on getting dinner on the table quickly and at a low cost. She was an instant success. A smart move to syndicated daytime talk show Rachael Ray, the launch of magazine Every Day with Rachael Ray and easy-to-follow cookbooks have propelled the folksy cook into mega-fame.

And perhaps the most famous of the female chefs, the one and only, Julia Child.

Back in the public eye after the success of recent film Julie & Julia, our love affair with the spunky cookbook author and television chef continues. Inspired by French cuisine while living in Paris, she became one of few women to graduate from the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. She then penned her famous 800-page book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, to show Americans how to cook sophisticated fare step-by-step. Her celebrity skyrocketed as a television chef and her original 14×20 foot kitchen is on permanent exhibit at the Smithsonian.

A big thank you to all of you strong, beautiful, pioneering ladies. Without you paving the way, there would be no culinary world or aspirations of a ladies’ culinary world. All of us who have followed in your brave footsteps owe you all a world of gratitude and appreciation. Hats off, or toques off, to all of you.

Follow your dreams, ladies (and gentlemen). Don’t be afraid to be the first. Don’t be afraid to soar high and catch the stars. If you aim high enough, the stars will come to you. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.