Many people would say that cooking is an art form and thus chefs are artists.  What’s odd is that there aren’t any chefs who are famous quite in the manner that  Vincent van Gogh is famous.  Sure, Rachel Ray, Emril, and Gordon Ramsay are widely recognized names, but they probably won’t be remembered with the reverence of say Picasso or Monet .  My favorite chef is Bobby Flay, though I admit that the notion of having a favorite chef is pretty weird.  I mean, it’s not as though I’ve actually tasted any of Bobby Flay’s food, so can I really label him as “my favorite”?  (To be fair, my favorite chef is actually the Swedish Chef, but I don’t think he counts here).  I can actually go see a favorite painting or listen to a favorite album.  With these mediums I can actually experience the art as the artists intended.  So, if I love viewing Magritte’s work, if I have an overpowering emotional response to his art, I can declare Magritte my favorite artist as I have personally experienced and been affected by his painting.  With that said, it seems odd that anyone can have a favorite chef since in all likelihood they’re probably never tasted his or her creations.  It’s as if we’re gauging tastiness based on a chef’s personality.  I’m pretty sure that Paula Deen’s food has become a lot less appetizing to some of her fans over the past few weeks due to her racist outbursts.