[skatss]

I adore Lidia Bastianich! Of course I mainly know her from her TV cooking show, but someday I hope to get to at least on of her NYC restaurants, either Felidia, BECCO, ESCA., or Del Posto. I like her because she's a no nonsense chef. Her meals are family style and are served in heaping platefuls.

I find chefs who place one steamed cut carrot artfully along side a slice of leek with two dots of salsa on a huge white plate to be annoying.

I also like that it looks like she really likes food and enjoys eating. When she takes a bite from her prepared dishes you can see that she's tasting it and testing that it has all the flavors that can be gotten from the food and spices in it.

Either from TV or real life -- who's your favorite chef?

[frenchtowner]

Skatts,

You are a foodie after my own heart. I cannot say enough good things about Lidia. She is a Great Chef and Momma all rolled up in one. She makes you smell the food through the TV! I do find that her show is a thousand times better than her cookbooks; her incredible presence just does not come across in the books. I bought a chef friend a book of hers for a gift and he was totally unimpressed. When he saw her on TV, he was in love.

I should plan to go to her restaurant too. She really has 3 in NYC?

Frenchtowner

[skatss]

There are actually more restaurants than names!

My sister, who HATES to cook actually turned me on to Lidia. She had been watching her on PBS and loved the show. I actually like to cook and I also love her show.

Because I liked Lidia so much, it started me in watching a lot of cooking shows, and now that's about all I do watch on TV.

These are all her restaurants, but she's let her son Joe have a say in opening some: Felidia (her first restaurant) 243 E 58th Street, ESCA 402 West 43rd St, Becco 355 West 46th Street (I think her son Joe runs this one) and Del Posto 85 10th Ave.

There's also Lidia's in Pittsburgh 1400 Smallman Street, Pittsburgh, PA and another Lidia's in Kansas City 101 West 22nd Street Kansas City.

You really have to applaud her to be able to keep so many restaurants going and thriving, especially in NYC. The turnover for restaurants here is incredible. You can find a new restaurant one day and the next month it's gone!

Here's her website with information about her show and with her restaurants' menus:

Lidia’s Italy » Welcome to Lidia’s Italy!

I dare you to read them without getting hungry!

[skatss]

What about Chef Ming Tsai, he's a rather young chef who majors in East/West foods. He combines Chinese with Western ideas. He's very good and personable too!

He should be on the poll list too!

[frenchtowner]

SkatsS,

You're right. He's on now.

FT

PS, If any of you find any copyright free Celebrity Chef photos, feel free to add them here.

[frenchtowner]

Design Problem with this poll, It looks like this page is going to be as wide as Texas when we finish here! Lidia is just too popular.

[luvbunnies42]

I love Rachael Ray. I know she's the type of lady you either love her or hate her. Her food approaches aren't over the top and it's well balanced. I love her personality.She's my favorite since I watch her the most.I enjoy a variety of chef's though and recipes.

[jenbear09]

I love the food network and watching the Tyler's Ultimate. I have tried to make some of the dishes that he has prepared on his show. It amazingly has turned out pretty good.

[Tech360]

Luvbundles,

You actually think Rachel Ray is a chef? Pretty she may be, chef she is not.

Tech360

[sophie67]

Tyler Florence is my favorite. He is the cutest one of them all.