5 NOTABLE CHEFS WORTH CHECKING OUT

Knowing how to cook food is not only essential, but it is also an art form. People love to learn from professional chefs. We’ve found 5 notable chefs that are worth learning from. While you might recognize some of the names on the list, others are up-and-coming chefs and cooks who inspire others with their vision and love of food. These 5 chefs are worth checking out.

Andrew Rea – Binging with Babish

In 2016, Rea published his first cooking video on his YouTube channel, Binging with Babish. The channel is known called Babish Culinary Universe and features dishes and drinks inspired by popular television shows and movies. Throughout each episode, Rea recreates the dish as close to that described in the specific film or television show. Rea will often create a better, more palatable version in the second half of the show.

While Rea is not flawless, he doesn’t cut out all his mistakes and makes it clear in his narration of every episode. The channel even has a category “Botched by Babish” where he corrects the mistakes pointed out by his fans. They also debate him on the virtues of the metric system. His education is in film, which is also clear as the series progresses and becomes more sophisticated. Rea isn’t afraid to try new things either – you can’t be if you’re going to tackle Hannibal Lecter’s cuisine preferences. From Frasier to the Mandalorian, Rea brings prop foods to life. He even recreates the Boeuf Bourguignon from the film Julie & Julia.

Julia Child – The French Chef

Speaking of Julia, it’s hard to write about notable chefs and not include Julia Child. So many successful chefs today point to her as inspiration. Even home cooks today still look to her to learn how to cook basic recipes. Part of the reason she’s so inspiring is that Julia Child was a pioneer in the world of television cooking. She wasn’t perfect – there were no retakes during her era of chef shows. Her education was in history and yet she was motivated to learn to cook, attending Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. She loved French cooking and made it accessible to Americans with the cookbook The Art of French Cooking. Her magnificent career spanned nearly 60 years. During that time she worked alongside some of the world’s master chefs, often taking charge but also passionate about learning more about cooking all the best dishes.

Kisha Lesane – A Pinch of Butter

At one time, the author of the new cookbook A Pinch of Butter Presents Kishia’s Kitchen, didn’t understand the passion that comes with cooking. Then one day while watching her dad Andrew Robinson cook in his restaurant it all clicked. Kisha Lesane saw his passion and how he showed his love for others through food. Today, Lesane continues that passion through her blog, in the kitchen, and everywhere she travels. Her love of food inspires her through highs and lows in her life, too. Even homelessness, and more recently an apartment fire, didn’t keep Lesane down. She says that her love of good food and cooking drove her to keep going, to work hard for her dream. Those experiences taught her the value of food. That’s one of the reasons she includes the best places to get the best food and food deals on her blog.

Lesane is earning her success one step at a time. From her blog to recently launching her YouTube channel, A Pinch of Butter, Lesane celebrates food and the people who love it. Part of that is teaching others to cook, too. Whether it’s a comforting Shepherd’s Pie (one of Lesane’s favorites) or reminding us not to worry about making mistakes, Lesane shares her passion to anyone who will listen.

“You can make so many memories over the food you make,” Lesane says. The mistakes just don’t matter. “Food can solve just about anything,” she adds. What she’s talking about are those times when we sit together over a meal, our worries tend to fade away. From her own experiences, Lesane says, “When I sat down to eat, it was the only time I felt normal when I was homeless because when I was finished I knew that I had to figure out my next step.”

Lesane is also a National Day Calendar Celebration Ambassador. She told us that National Day Calendar came along at a low point in her life and the Celebrate Every Day message gave her a reason to keep going. And she did! Today when Lesane visits home, after traveling to places like Arlington, Virginia, for shrimp at the Quarter Deck or The Warf in Alexandria, Virginia, her dad cooks up her favorite fried chicken, mac and cheese, and beans. And they talk about the world until her plate is clean. When her plate is clean, the conversation is over, and Lesane is off to places like Taschal’s in Atlanta for the best fried chicken – other than her dad’s, that is.

Sohla El-Waylly – Off-Script with Sohla

Before her YouTube series Off-Script with Sohla on Food52, this chef starred on Bon Appetit’s Test Kitchen. Her talent, skill, and popularity have put her in demand. A frequent guest on Andrew Rea’s Babish Culinary Universe, El-Waylly tackles challenges viewers throw her way, but she also writes and can be seen on many other YouTube channels including History, NYT Cooking, and Duolingo. Why is this culinary creator so popular? Well, for many reasons. She’s well versed in food history making her an excellent trouble-shooter. She’s not afraid to try something new. And El-Waylly shares her secrets to better cooking which in turn helps us all be better cooks.

Jason Glover – Dads that Cook

Being a dad who cooks, Jason Glover took his skills on the road in 2014 and began sharing the stories of other dads who also cook. These dads aren’t limited to breakfast or the grill, either. These dads know their way around a kitchen and meal. While cooking up a fantastic meal, these dads and Jason share stories about cooking for their families, their love of cooking, and some mouthwatering recipes. When it comes to men making dinner, Jason and all the dads have every dish covered!

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