Leeann Chin, takes authentic Chinese to chain proportions
Fresh ingredients and simple recipes have propelled the first-generation Cantonese immigrant to star status in the Twin Cities.

Stefaan Couttenye, pioneer of the new beer cuisine
In a country that takes its beer seriously, this Belgian chef has pushed the envelope of culinary innovation.

Viva Rick Bayless
The habanero-hot chef who introduced authentic Mexican cuisine to mainstream America isn't resting on his laurels, with a growing library of cookbooks, a hot new PBS series, expanding retail line of salsas and seasonings and burning desire to take consumers beyond cliché taco fare.

Super Chef Serves Multiple Masters
Serving celebrities and royalty at a group of hotel properties near the world-famous Mayo Clinic requires Omar Feyen to leap dietary restrictions and accommodate special requests in a single bound.

Dessert Trends: a Baker's Dozen
In a sharply competitive marketplace, upscale and midscale restaurants search for points of difference to boost their customer appeal. And what sweeter way than by fine-tuning the dessert menu? We interviewed pastry chefs from coast to coast and identified 13 dessert trends to watch.

Interview: Jean-Georges Vongerichten, culinary explorer
The fusion pioneer discusses his long journey to meld Eastern and Western cuisines, as well as his plans to conquer a new frontier: the high-stakes world of New York luxury hotels.

NRA 2000: Must-See Culinary Hot Spots in the Windy City
The following new restaurants -- some as new as this millennium year -- offer a cook's tour of Chicago's vibrant restaurant scene.

United's Gerry Gulli Keeps Airline's Cuisine Rising
For United Airlines' 36-year-old chef, serving 140,000 meals a day it means vigorously working with vendors and contract caterers to enhance quality and boost customer satisfaction.

Ellen Haas: Exploring a New Frontier
Long before Ellen Haas was appointed by President Clinton as Undersecretary of Agriculture, she had been a consumer activist in the cause of nutrition.

Capital Asset: Earlest Bell is D.C. Marriott's Top Toque
The J.W. Marriott Hotel in Washington, D.C., is no ordinary hotel. The job of its 43-year-old executive chef, Earlest Bell, is no ordinary culinary job.

Bistro Chic: The Second French Revolution
These days, it seems, there's a bistro everywhere. Airlines offer coach passengers a "bistro meal" -- thin code for a sack lunch. Quick-service sandwich shops call themselves bistros.

Sam Choy: The Big Kahuna of Island Cuisine
Hawaii's native son, Sam Choy, has worked long and hard to put his islands' cuisine on the culinary map.

The Noble Traitor: Tête à Tête with Jacques Pepin
We had the pleasure of sitting down with this noblest of traitors . . . He spoke of the diversity of American cuisine and the emerging sophistication of the dining public.

Oona Settembre: Dave & Buster's Menu Maven
For a corporate executive chef at a growing chain that is as much adult amusement park as it is a restaurant, credible culinary creation is more than just fun and games.

Christine Manfield: Spicing it Up Down Under
Dubbed the Spice Queen of Australia, Sydney Chef-Operator Christine Manfield embraces her country's culinary awakening with an artful, complex -- even aggressive -- blend of flavors.

Culinary Notes: An Interview with Executive Chef John Coletta
Noted in culinary circles as a rising star, the executive chef at the Caliterra Cal-Ital Bar & Grille at Chicago's Wyndham hotel discusses food trends, labor challenges and the unique passion required to run an upscale hotel restaurant.