Have Women Chefs Turned Invisible?

Photo: Anne Burrell in 2007

Not literally, of course: In a Time Out article published yesterday, writer Rebecca Flint Marx stirs the pot a bit by making the case that while New York’s restaurant scene is strongly populated with women chefs, few of them are really mentioned by the food press. To illustrate this point, she singles out Eater’s coverage of a massive restaurant preview last fall that was apparently chock-a-block with dudes like David Chang and Tom Colicchio. "Curiously," writes Marx, "the post failed to mention the numerous notable female chefs in attendance."

Our coverage of that same party mentioned the appearance of Madhur Jaffrey, who, regardless of the fact she’s known more as a food writer than a chef, has taught more people to cook good food than any number of debonair or bad-boy, mustachioed chefs in the city. On the subject of gender and cooking, one of the city’s more prominent female chefs—Anne Burrell— had just opened Centro Vinoteca in 2007 when we interviewed her, and she weighed in on the subject of women chefs:

[T]here’s been this whole big thing about female chefs, and I don’t really know why. I’m a girl, and I’m a cook- I just like to cook, and I don’t like to worry about the distinctions. We’re just supposed to make good food.

Burrell now has her own television show. Another indication that many women chefs are seemingly more focused on getting work done can be seen in their laconic (read: absence of bombastic, speculative grandiosity) responses to our call for 2009 food predictions. Are female chefs ignored by the press? More reading here, and, as always, Hell Yeah Lady Chefs.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Hugh Merwin in Food on January 14, 2009 3:22 PM

Comments [rss]

smacky

Definitely ignored. The press and public like to focus in on the younger, male, gay chefs like Tom & David..... HA!

zodak

my two favorite chefs: droool & yummmo

Nyctini11

and my personal fav.... Giada De Laurentiis!!

longacre

I second that. (Ads on side NSFW)

ides_of_march

Blame the feminists: aren't they the ones who told women to get out of the kitchen in the 60's and 70's? Some people are never happy.

JenChungsBaby

I don't know but could someone please make Anne Burrell invisible.

Internet Handle

Time Out was the magazine that featured the results of a male-centric survey including questions like "Have you ever had sex with a hostess in the kitchen?" and a cover photo of a male chef doing just that. Who do they think they are to analyze the lack of women chefs being covered by the press?

They help perpetuate the problem, then double up the coverage by asking if the problem exists. Ridiculous.

JenChungsBaby

Can hostess include a chick you're dating who invited you over for a home-cooked meal?

ziggyziggy

i like her hairdo

ides_of_march

Perhaps the male chefs for whatever reason are just generally better or more aggresive in pursuing their profession. It's possible. All of them are individuals are should be judged on individual merit, but unfortunately with political correctness, victim group scorecards have to be kept and be made to conform to ideological dogma. If that doesn't happen some sort of "ism" must be blamed. Equal opportunity doesn't guarantee equal results.