Chefography

He’s a man who believes in order to be big, you have to think big. His passion for food is infectious and he’s captured the hearts and stomachs of hungry America. He’s this country’s most recognizable and beloved chef, and he’s known by one name and one name only: Emeril. Join us for a look back at the life of chef Emeril Lagasse, from his early days growing up in Fall River, through his enormously successful rise in the culinary community, business and television.

She's a superstar in the culinary world who seems like a friendly next door neighbor. But success didn't happen overnight. This is the story of Paula Deen. Find out about her fears, her struggles and how her dreams finally came true.

She was born with one of the most famous names in show business. But the granddaughter of legendary film producer Dino De Laurentiis left the family business behind to follow her passion for cooking.

At the tender age of 7, Tyler Florence specialized in creating souped-up snacks for his skateboard pals. He struggled early in school, but Tyler's passion for food helped guide him through a strenuous course of culinary training and set him on the path for success. Through sheer will, guts and determination, Tyler not only won acclaim in the Big Apple for his inspired cooking, but he also became famous on TV for solving home cooks' emergencies in kitchens around the country.

At just 9 years old, Sandra Lee had to take on the role of surrogate mom to her siblings. Sandra's creativity and resourcefulness surfaced early and resulted in the growth of an enterprise that caters to those-on-the-go who want perfection without the time and cost associated with achieving it. Her accessible decorating and cooking concepts have taken her from a young curtain crafter to Semi-Homemade CEO.

Mario Batali is a culinary school dropout who reigns as America's king of Italian cuisine. From his training and cooking style to his signature orange clogs and shorts attire, Mario is anything but conventional. He created his own path that ultimately paved his way to culinary and television stardom. Today Mario's not only building an empire as the larger-than-life chef who cooks like an Italian grandmother, but is also using his celebrity, profits and cooking talent to benefit New Yorkers.

He's a high school dropout who discovered his passion for cooking completely by accident. After a brief career detour to Wall Street, Bobby Flay set out on a mission to win over New Yorkers with the big, bold flavors of his innovative Southwestern cuisine. The result? Bobby's a critically acclaimed chef and restaurateur, an award-winning cookbook author, and one of Food Network's first stars.

She's known around the world as the domestic goddess, a global superstar with a hit TV show and a string of award winning best seller cook books. But life wasn't always so sweet for this once painfully shy girl whose mother was a catering heiress and father, one of Britain's leading politicians. Nigella suffered her parents' divorce in the glare of publicity that was followed by an appalling triple tragedy. She was left a young widow with two small children after cancer claimed not only her younger sister and her mother but also the beloved husband who she had met as a young journalist and who helped set her on the road to stardom. Now happily remarried, this international superstar continues to bring her irresistible vivacity, charm and passion to cook to millions of fans.

With her unmistakably expressive voice, Julia Child invited everyday people into her TV kitchen and introduced them to exciting new ways of preparing food. Julia was not a natural born cook, until one bite of a buttery French dish helped change everything. With passion, charm, and impeccable timing, Julia captivated generations of viewers and helped change the way we cooked.

Wolfgang. It's one of the most famous names in the culinary world. Wolfgang Puck changed the way Americans eat. Mixing classical French techniques along with Asian and California influences and the highest quality ingredients, Wolfgang created a completely new style of cuisine. Once Wolfgang invented pizza with smoked salmon and caviar, contemporary fine dining in cities across the nation, and the world, would never be the same.

Before Ace of Cakes became an overnight sensation on the Food Network, the patriarch Duff Goldman, and his eccentric supporting staff, embarked on a unique journey to the spotlight. Chef Duff's background is a story of childhood rebellion, art, music and culinary adventures — including a raucous stint at Burger King, a wild ride at a prestigious pastry school, and a job at one of the best restaurants in the world. His diverse experiences and determination led Duff to hire his friends and open one of the most creative, successful and entertaining bakeries in the nation: Charm City Cakes.

Pat and Gina reunited at their 10th high school reunion, married in 1995 and began working side by side at Neely's, the family's BBQ restaurant that Pat and his brothers opened in 1988. A 2006 appearance on the Food Network let to the couple getting their own cooking series, "Down Home with the Neelys", which debuted in 2008. Balancing their TV work, business, marriage and family is a daily challenge, but Pat and Gina handle it all thanks to the fundamental love between them.

With multiple series and specials on Food Network, a New York Times best-selling book and millions of fans, Guy Fieri is on top of the world. But the ten-year old who just wanted to cook dinner for his family had no idea where his passion would lead him. From starting a pretzel cart business in fifth grade to running restaurants in his early twenties, it was clear that food was a driving force in Guy's life, but that was just the beginning. In 2005, he was picked as a finalist on the competition series "Next Food Network Star," and a new chapter began. Viewers fell in love with his infectious personality, and he won the competition, as well as his own cooking show, "Guy's Big Bite." Other successful series, like "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" and "Ultimate Recipe Showdown" soon followed, and Guy's status as culinary superstar was secured.