Anne Burrell Biography

It was while attending Canisius College in Buffalo that Anne Burrell, who has taught in both the professional and recreational programs at the Institute for two years, first worked in a restaurant. I waited tables at a casual bistrobar, she says, and I got bitten by the restaurant bug. After graduating in 1991, she worked for a time as a physician headhunter, but found that the culinary world still called. I moved back to my mothers house after six years away-she loved that-and got a job making salads and doing prep work. I did all the grunt work like cleaning shrimp and washing lettuce for a year, and then I went to culinary school, she reports.

Upon graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Burrell studied at the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners, spending time in Piedmont, Umbria, Tuscany and Liguria. It gave me a feeling for simplicity and seasonality, she says.

Burrell has always relished the opportunity to work in small, highly personal restaurants. In Tuscany she worked at La Bottega del 30, a 30-seat restaurant that offered one seating each night. Back in New York, after serving as sous chef at Felidia owned by Lidia Bastianich, she moved on to Savoy, where she was chef in the small prix fixe dining room. I cooked on an open fire in the dining room and got to write a weekly menu, she recalls. It was like being back in Tuscany.

In 2005, Iron Chef Mario Batali asked Burrell to serve as one of his sous chef, along with Chef and Restaurateur Mark Ladner, for a pilot taping of Food Network™s the Iron Chef America series. She has continued to serve as his sous chef, frequently making pasta dough for Batalis Italian-inspired cooking

After running the kitchen at Sasha Muniak™s Centro Vinoteca from its opening in July 2007 through June 2008, Burrell landed her own show on the Food Network. Aptly named œSecrets of a Restaurant Chef, Burrell is now sharing her stock of insider secrets from years of training and restaurant experience with her fans. In 2009, she began appearing on another Food Network show, œThe Best Thing I Ever Ate in which chefs recount their favorite restaurants dishes.

In January 2010, Anne™s new show œWorst Cooks in America debuted on Food Network as the highest rated, most watched night in Food Network history, attracting four million viewers for the first episode. Anne and her co-host took twelve of the most hopeless cooks in the country, pitting them against one another in a high-stakes elimination series. The show put the œrecruits through a culinary boot camp with the last cook standing winning $25,000.

Burrell feels fortunate to have found a field that satisfies her so completely. I like to teach cooking because its fun and because I get to share with lots of people things that it has taken me years to learn, and I also love talking about food all the time, she says. I feel so lucky that I have found my true passion in life.

As a renowned expert and highly sought-after speaker, Anne Burrell's expertise is in high demand. To book Anne Burrell for your next event, conference, or workshop, please contact our speaker booking agency. Our experienced team will work closely with you to understand your specific needs and help secure Anne Burrell's participation. With our professional guidance and seamless booking process, you can ensure a memorable and impactful experience for your audience. Don't miss the opportunity to engage your audience with Anne Burrell's compelling insights and inspire positive change within your organization. Fill out the booking request form to take the first step in securing Anne Burrell for your next speaking engagement.