Maybe I love Alton Brown because we both have degrees in Theatre, although I’d have to say he’s probably putting his to better use than I am. He’s got the ability to make the audience chuckle, and he’s not afraid to don a cowboy costume or talk with a funny accent for an entire episode to further the cause.

In addition to his show, he’s also done a couple of mini-series called Feasting on Asphalt. Nerds, food, and motorcycles…what more could you want? In the first season, he actually wrecked the bike and ended up in the hospital. Honestly, I would have thought some of the crazy Southern food he was eating would have put him there first, but what do I know?

Alton Brown has also had some success as an author. A couple of his titles include several takes on I’m Just Here for the Food, and Alton Brown’s Gear for Your Kitchen. He’s also done some videos for GE that go out to their wholesalers to better explain their products. These are done in the same style as Good Eats, and I have to think that those are the most entertaining instructional videos the appliance store employees have ever seen.

I didn’t set out to make this a whose-who of Iron Chef America, but like Bobby Flay and Mario Batali, Alton Brown is also involved in the show. He’s the commentator, and he knows so much about so many different foods that he really does make the show that much more interesting.

OK, I will stop gushing about my celebrity chef crush Alton Brown. (Call me!)

Image details: Rachael Ray Welcomes Kristin Davis And Mario Batali To Her Show served by picapp.com

Mario Batali is the first celebrity chef to be included in this little series. He’s been working in kitchens since he was in college in the early 80s, getting his start as a dishwasher. Boy, has he come a long way since those humble beginnings.

Best known for authentic Italian-style cooking (he apprenticed in Northern Italy after an already successful stint as a chef in both the UK and the US), Mario Batali has become a household name due to his numerous television shows. These include Molto Mario, Mediterranean Mario, Mario Eats Italy, and Ciao America. He is also one of the Iron Chefs on Iron Chef America. Apparently, he’s also got an upcoming series on PBS with Gwyneth Paltrow called Spain…On the Road Again.

Like so many of the celebrity chefs today, Mario has also penned several books with long titles, including Mario Batali Simple Italian Food: Recipes from My Two Villages, Mario Batali Holiday Food: Family Recipes for the Most Festive Time of the Year, Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Italian Recipes to Cook at Home, and a few others.

While the general public has really been introduced to Mario through his television and literary careers, he is actually highly though of in the culinary world, too. He and his business partner Joseph Bastianich are owners of several restaurants. Some of these include Lupa, Esca, Otto Enoteca Pizzeria, Casa Mono, Bar Jamon, Bistro Du Vents, Del Posto, Enoteca San Marco, and B&B Ristorante. For a full list of his resturants, check out his web site.

But wait, that’s not all. With this croc-wearing redheaded chef, you also get a line of kitchen tools and cookware. I am not even joking when I tell you that there are even Mario Batali toys! This guy is more than a chef, and he has really learned to leverage his celebrity to the nth degree.

I actually kind of like some of these folks, and you certainly can’t fault them for using their fifteen minutes in the spotlight to make a little extra coin. Some of them have practically built empires on cook books and grilling spices.

Over the next week, we’re going to take a look at some of the big names in celebrity chef-dom. We’ll also look at what they’re doing outside of the kitchen that qualifies them for inclusion on a blog about celebrity businesses. I’ll admit to having my favorites, and there are a few that sort of annoy me, but I’ll try not to let that bias my opinions too much.

Bon Appetit!

Image details: Discovery Upfront Event served by picapp.com

As a writer, I have much affection for authors. As an occasionally snarky person, I like some good dark humor. As a human being, I like to eat. Combine all of these attributes, and you have one of my favorite celebrities: Anthony Bourdain.

I first discovered Anthony Bourdain as the host of The Travel Channel’s No Reservations. This guy is not your average fluffy-bunny celebrity. He drinks like a fish, he smokes like a chimney, and he’ll eat just about anything. (Actually, I recently heard him in a question-and-answer session, and he revealed that he quit smoking after his daughter was born.)

Still, the guy is rude, crass, and totally, totally cool. In fact, I’ve been told that his show No Reservations came about because the folks who gave him his first (very similar) show called A Cook’s Tour on The Food Network found him to be a little too, um, perverse for their audience. The Travel Channel show airs with a parental warning.

Tony Bourdain is first and foremost a chef, and it is entertaining to note that he has a whole lot of criticism for celebrity chefs like Emeril. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em . . . or in his case, keep beating up on them anyway.

In addition to being a semi-big TV star and a very big chef at New York’s Brasserie Les Halles, Bourdain is also a hugely successful author. His book Kitchen Confidential pretty much launched his whole non-cooking career, and it has been followed up by five more non-fiction books, including A Cook’s Tour, The Nasty Bits, No Reservations, and Bone In the Throat. There was even a FOX Television sitcom called Kitchen Confidential that was loosely based on his experiences.

One of the coolest aspects of this ultra-cool guy is the way he travels around the world for his current show. He is almost painfully aware of the cultures he visits, and it is obvious that he strives to be as respectful as humanly possible in a variety of situations. When he’s visiting a village where there is little food, he graciously accepts whatever is offered; and it’s clear that he is truly moved by the gesture.

That’s amazing for someone who is pretty like to tell you to go *censored* yourself just for grins!