This is a hard one, but I would have to say Ina Garten (the Barefoot Contessa). She cooks, simple well prepared meals - just the kind of food I like.

I think she's among the best teachers for home cooks on Food Network, but I don't think you can call her a chef. I think she'd agree.

One of the best cooking shows I've seen is a show called "Chef at Home," produced by Canada's food network. The chef, Michael Smith a very respected Canadian chef who competed on Iron Chef America, teaches people how to improvise and cook without using recipes -- good skills to have. If you can find it, I reccomend it highly.

Good point. I've heard Rachael Ray pronounce herself as a cook and not a chef, so point well taken.

Good point. I've heard Rachael Ray pronounce herself as a cook and not a chef. Point well taken.

"Best" would depend on what I want to eat at the moment.

Mario Batali overall, but sometimes pretentious foods.

Bobby Flay for MEAT! (OK- this would be my favorite then!)

Jacques Pepin for a nice meal well within my normal comfort range

Mrs. Butterworth (Paula Dean) for desserts and breads. Sure they're a heart attack waiting to happen, but they taste good.

It really varies tremendously by chef. Some just sell their name for a fee, and have nothing to do with the restaurant except attending the opening night party. Others run it as their own business, even if they are there only 1 day per month.

Alain Ducasse is a great example of the latter, and maybe a reason why he has earned the most Michelin stars of any chef in the world -- far more than any of the chefs mentioned on this thread so far, and maybe as many as all of them combined (19 by last count). At one point Ducasse had 3 Michelin star rated restaurants in 3 different cities -- all being run hands-on. So, it is possible, but doesn't allow for TV shows. Ducasse doesn't do airline food -- but does do the menu planning for the European Space Agency (through ADF). And runs 2 cooking schools, which shows where his priorities, and heart, lies.

Yes. I have had to pleasure to eat at his former three star restaurant in NY on a number of occasions as well as his current two star restaurant in NY. Absolutely stunning food. Comparing Batali to someone like Ducasse, or even comparing Batali and the others to Ripert, is like comparing a good high school football team to the Packers in my opinion. Most of the chefs mentioned here arent in the same universe as Ducasse (Ramsey and a few others being probable exceptions - at least at their best I suspect). I havent eaten at any Gorden Ramsey place but a number of times at Batali restaurants.