A woman rules this kitchen! The female chefs who have influenced gastronomy

More and more women are entering the world's gastronomic scene, a and they're getting the applause they deserve. For example pars Berlinrun by pastry chef and artist Kristiane Kegelmann and chef Alina Jakobsmeier, and Hallmann & Klee under the direction of Sarah Hallmann or CODAheaded by head chef Julia A. Leitner.

We were equally impressed by the Swiss chef Rebecca Clopath, Beata Sniechowska from Poland or the owner of the Pilsen's bistro Fred , Anna Kučerová. Not forgetting the women who support their husbands' successes and have an undeniable stake – Jeannine Frank helps run the restaurant Horvath, Christine Lasta provides support for Chef Norbert Niederkofler, Lucia Hô-Chí is the partner and colleague of Slovak chef Pal Sekerka... Behind any man stands a talented woman!

Famous female chefs through time

And now for the history. The founder of Czech literature on housekeeping, home economics and, above all, food, is of course Magdalena Dobromila Rettigová. Her Home Cookbook was published as early as 1826, but unlike most publications of the time, it was written in Czech and – as we would say today – the target audience was the common people. In her book, the author described simple and more complex recipes always using commonly available ingredients, advising how to use the whole ingredient so that nothing was wasted.

Marie B. Svobodová, cook and housekeeper at the rectory, held many of the same ideas, but her story remains lesser known. Her recommendations and tips for good housekeepers, which she continued to write and then summarised in the book Cooking school or Thorough guidance to learn cooking and good housekeeping on your own, were published in 1894.

A condensed and simplified version of this classic can be found today on the shelves of the Ambiente Club in Prague's Burzovní palác. Marie's techniques and ideas are still followed today in the Michelin La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise and it's sister establishment, Marie B, was opened in July 2023 in her honour.

Among celebrated folk cooks are Ana Kejrova – a teacher at a girls' bourgeois school in the early 20th century, and Marie Úlehlová-Tilschová, who became famous for her seasonal tables of menus. Marie Janků Sandtner described her experiences in France in the cookbook A book of budgets and cooking recipes for all housewives to safely prepare good, tasty and inexpensive dishes.

Fast-forward a few decades to find the cookbooks of British businesswoman Elly Mills, whose recipes are full of quick yet nutritious meals. Those who like to cook dinner for friends can take inspiration from the Egyptian artist Laila Gohar, who found herself in the role of the hostess – despite living in New York, she writes her own column for the UK's Financial Times How to Spend It magazine, with the occasional homemade Egyptian recipe thrown in.

Among contemporary cookbooks, it's worth noting the publication of Bla Bla Bla from Viktoria Sapoušková. It contains 95 quick recipes for nutritionally balanced meals full of fresh and roasted vegetables and also introduces fermentation. In the book Almost Forgotten Recipes and its sequel, Michaela Smolová returns to our grandmothers' recipes, Viennese cakes, fragrant gingerbread and Austro-Hungarian cuisine in general.

To read, see and listen to

If you want to learn more about famous women in gastronomy, read Annabel Abbs' book Miss Eliza's English Kitchen (The Language of Food). It's the true story English poet Eliza Acton, who coincidentally became Britain's most famous cookbook author in the first half of the 19th century – to this day, many chefs still look to her expertise.

Until that point, recipes were written very differently. Ingredients were listed haphazardly, there was no systematic approach – and it was Eliza who changed that. Look forward to a readable story of female strength, resilience and cooking. And lots of recipes!

Another book we'd recommend is the story of Julia Child. One of the most famous chefs ever, she lived in France for many years with her diplomat husband, and it was here that she fell in love with food and cooking. She started taking classes at the famous Le Cordon Bleu cooking school, which literally changed her life.

Soon she met Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, equally enthusiastic and passionate cooks, and they set about writing a book called The Art of French Cooking which sparked a minor revolution. Julia's memoir is full of stories and tales, her love of France and food, and her husband Paul.

But you don't just have to read Julia's story. The film Julie & Julia connects the lives of Julia Child and Julie Powell, who started a blog in 2002. Her goal was to cook all of the dishes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The famous Julia Child is played by none other than Meryl Streep.

Czech speakers who enjoy podcasts are probably familiar with Ve vlastní šťávě. Juliana Fischer, a.k.a. Maškrtnica, has long produced it in collaboration with Radio Wave and she's interviewed many guests who live for food.

The popular gastro journalist, cookbook author, founder of Sisters and Topinka bistros, Hana Michopulu, also had her own podcast. In Potraviny, she and her guests covered a lot of topics that resonated in the industry.

A forum (not only) for women

A tribute to the female element, Parabere Forum is an international meeting of women who are influencing and transforming the global food and nutrition scene. This year's event took place at the beginning of March in Rome, opening with the theme of food politics.

On the stage were chef Asma Khan and Monica Berg, who is behind P(our) Symposium and, alongside her partner Alex Kratena, promotes sustainability at all levels, including at Tayer + Elementary. The programme was complemented by workshops on topics including the history of taste, native grain varieties and wild herbs.

Tip: We recommend the book Cooking Up a Better Food Future, a collection of essays published as part of the fifth annual forum.

Lukáš Berný, Which Way Out of Boredom