With her trademark spiky blond hair and pumped-up personality, Anne Burrell is the hugely popular and fan favorite host of Worst Cooks in America, Worst Cooks in America: Celebrity Edition, as well as the new Food Network series Vegas Chef Prize Fight. Anne Burrell eliminated the intimidation of restaurant dishes and revealed concise, easy-to-master techniques for the at-home cook on her Food Network series, Secrets of a Restaurant Chef which ran for nine seasons. Chef Burrell has also worked at some of the top restaurants in New York, studied the culinary landscape and traditions of Italy, and battled on Food Network’s Iron Chef America.
Growing up in upstate New York, Chef Burrell developed a passion for food and cooking at an early age. After obtaining an English and Communications degree from Canisius College in Buffalo, NY, she pursued her interest in the restaurant business by enrolling at the Culinary Institute of America. “I loved every minute of being a student at the CIA,” she says. “I couldn’t learn fast enough, couldn’t do enough, couldn’t work hard enough.” Following graduation, Chef Burrell spent a year in Italy attending the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners while working at La Taverna del Lupo in Umbria and La Bottega del’ 30, a one-Michelin star restaurant in Tuscany. During her time in Italy, she grew to truly appreciate and understand the philosophy of Italian cuisine and culture, which left a lasting impact on her culinary point of view.
Upon her arrival in New York City, Chef Burrell was hired as a sous chef at Felidia, working with Lidia Bastianich. She then served as a chef at Savoy, where she cooked over an open wood fire and created flavorful menus inspired by countries around the Mediterranean. Here, she developed her personal culinary style—a real love of rustic food made with pure and simple ingredients that have intense flavors. Chef Burrell was the executive chef at Lumi and, shortly thereafter, she became the special events chef at the Italian Wine Merchants. In 2007, Chef Burrell was the executive chef at Centro Vinoteca in New York City. She has authored two cookbooks: Cook Like a Rock Star and Own Your Kitchen: Recipes to Inspire & Empower.
Chef Burrell has become a much-loved staple on Food Network appearing regularly on shows such as Chef Wanted, Beat Bobby Flay, Chopped, Food Network Star and others. In 2015, she won the fourth installment of the Chopped All-Stars Tournament winning $75,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. Chef Burrell is a Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Celebrity Ambassador, where she is an advocate for juvenile diabetes awareness.