Getty Images/ Dave Kotinsky

Who is Alex Guarnaschelli? Everything to Know About this Talented Chef

If you've seen Iron Chef America, Chopped or The Kitchen, you may have seen chef Alex Guarnaschelli in her element. This celebrity chef is renowned as one of the most talented chefs in America, from her recipes to her TV shows to her cookbooks. Here's everything to know about this incredible chef!

Videos by Wide Open Country

Alexandra Guarnaschelli's passion for cooking came from her mother, cookbook editor Maria Guarnaschelli, who was married to John Guarnaschelli. Throughout her childhood, she learned about a wide range of food and cooking techniques, experiencing the cuisine of the many books her mother edited. As she says in her website, "I spent my childhood surrounded by food," she said. "I honestly feel as if I learned to eat according to whatever cookbook my mother was working on at the time."

Guarnaschelli attended Barnard College, majoring in art history. The would-be chef then began to pursue her love of cooking, working in a kitchen after college and eventually studying culinary arts at a La Varenne Cooking School in Burgundy, France. This only led further into her eventual outstanding career as a chef.

Chef Alex Guarnaschelli's Many Accomplishments

Chef Alex Guarnaschelli's accomplishments are varied and far-reaching. She's currently the executive chef at New York City's Butter restaurant in Manhattan, and previously was as well at The Darby restaurant before it closed. Along with this Guarnaschelli has worked in some of the best restaurants in France, one being Guy Savoy's Michelin starred restaurant.

She's also become well-known as a TV personality, hosting and appearing in many Food Network shows like Supermarket Stakeout, Alex's Day Off, The Cooking Loft, and Worst Cooks in America alongside Anne Burrell. The Food Network star also appeared in Beat Bobby Flay, Chopped, Guy's Grocery Games, and more.

Along with being a star in the kitchen and on the screen, Guarnaschelli has authored a number of cookbooks. Her first cookbook, Old-School Comfort Food: The Way I Learned to Cook, was a New York Times bestseller. She also has two other cookbooks, The Home Cook: Recipes to Know by Heart, and Cook With Me: 150 Recipes For The Home Cook. The talented chef is also in the midst of writing a memoir.

Editor's Note: Products featured on Wide Open Eats are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.