What 20 iconic chefs looked like early in their careers

Now a famous celebrity chef and cookbook author, Garten got her start as the owner of a food store.

According to Insider, she told The New York Times that her husband convinced her to quit her prestigious job as a budget analyst at the White House to purchase her own specialty-food shop.

So in 1978, when she was 30 years old, Garten bought Barefoot Contessa.

Her legacy as a culinary icon endures with her long-running Food Network show, "Barefoot Contessa," and 12 cookbooks, with the 13th coming out in October.

As a teenager, Stewart signed with Ford Models. She went on to graduate from Barnard College and later became a stockbroker for about eight years.

In 1976, just a few years after the birth of her daughter, she began an at-home catering company, which eventually led to her first cookbook, "Entertaining," in 1982.

The first issue of her magazine, Martha Stewart Living, came out in 1990, and her namesake TV show launched about two years later.

In 2004, Stewart was sentenced to five months in prison and five months of home confinement for lying to federal investigators in relation to a stock-trading case.

Today, she is still an iconic chef with her successful blog, product lines, and cookbooks.

Ray got her start in food by working at a Macy's candy counter in New York, according to her 2005 profile in The New York Times.

She continued her career by working in various specialty-food shops, teaching culinary classes, and appearing on local-news cooking segments.

In 1999, Ray published her first cookbook, which eventually led to an appearance on the NBC "Today" show. The next day, she signed a contract with the Food Network, then started hosting "30 Minute Meals" in 2001.

Today, she's still known for her shows, as well as her many cookbooks.

Known for his spiked bleach-blonde hair and rock-star personality, Fieri has long had a passion for food and worked to earn enough money to study abroad in France.

In 1996, Fieri opened his first restaurant, Johnny Garlic's, in Santa Rosa, California.

After winning "The Next Food Network Star" — later condensed to "Food Network Star" — in 2006, he was given his own series, "Guy's Big Bite."

The Mayor of Flavortown still entertains fans with his successful Food Network shows "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" and "Guy's Grocery Games," among others. He also has several restaurants and best-selling cookbooks.

As a high schooler in Japan, Morimoto planned on becoming a professional baseball catcher until a shoulder injury changed his trajectory.

Instead, Morimoto studied the art of sushi. At 24 years old, he opened his first restaurant and began his legacy as a highly regarded chef, restaurateur, and television personality.

He is widely known for his appearances on the Japanese cooking competition "Iron Chef," plus the American version of the series, "Iron Chef America."

In 2006, Drummond started her blog, The Pioneer Woman, which featured stories and photos of life on her family ranch, as well as cooking tips and recipes.

Her blog skyrocketed to major success with 13 million page views each month by 2009, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The success of Drummond's blog led to her first cookbook, "The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl." And in 2011, she began hosting "The Pioneer Woman" on the Food Network.

The show's success made Drummond a culinary household name. She also has a line of kitchen, home, pet, and clothing products.

After beginning his formal culinary training at just 14 years old, Puck went on to work in some of Europe's finest restaurants.

His move to the United States at 24 years old solidified him as an icon in the industry. Puck eventually became the chef of Ma Maison in West Hollywood, California, and rose to fame.

After the release of his first cookbook in 1986 and the opening of his world-renowned restaurant, Spago, Puck became a household name.

Today, he is known for his fine-dining restaurant group, television series, cookbooks, philanthropic efforts, and product lines.

Born in Rome, De Laurentiis grew up with a passion for food.

After graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1996, De Laurentiis studied pastry and cuisine at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France.

She went to work for Puck at Spago and began her own catering company before being discovered by the Food Network in 2002.

De Laurentiis is now famous for her hit Food Network shows — like "Everyday Italian," "Giada's Weekend Getaways," and "Giada at Home" — and was a judge on "Food Network Star." She's also published 10 cookbooks, created a product line, and opened multiple restaurants.

Before Lagasse was one of the world's most famous chefs and television personalities, he was a bakery employee.

After deciding to pursue his culinary education at Johnson and Wales University, he traveled around Europe and the US, working in various successful restaurants to hone his skills.

In 1990, Lagasse launched his first eatery, Emeril's, in New Orleans, Louisiana, after working for almost eight years at the prestigious Commander's Palace.

He is now known for his wildly successful restaurant group and his past Food Network shows, like "Essence of Emeril" and "Emeril Live." He also has a line of home products, has published many cookbooks, and is highly involved in philanthropic efforts.

South Korea-born chef and innovator Choi was first introduced to the world of food by his parents, who owned a Korean restaurant in Anaheim, California.

At 24 years old, he started studying at the Culinary Institute of America after he was inspired by watching chef and TV personality Lagasse, according to a 2010 interview with the Wall Street Journal.

He went on to pioneer the gourmet food-truck movement in America with the launch of his wildly successful Korean-barbecue joint, Kogi BBQ.

He was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2016 and was the coproducer of Jon Favreau's 2014 movie "Chef." In 2019, Netflix released a spin-off series, "The Chef Show," which Choi is on.

Guarnaschelli grew up surrounded by culinary influences, as her mother was a successful cookbook editor and her father was a dedicated cooking enthusiast.

She graduated from Barnard College in 1991 and moved to France to begin her studies at La Varenne Culinary School in Burgundy.

With extensive training under her belt, she became the executive chef of New York City's Butter in 2003.

Her success led her to television opportunities on Food Network shows like "Chopped," "Iron Chef America," and more. Guarnaschelli has also released several cookbooks.

Before he became known for Food Network shows like "Grillin' and Chillin'," "Hot Off the Grill With Bobby Flay," "Beat Bobby Flay," and "Boy Meets Grill," Flay got his start as a line cook at Joe Allen Restaurant at 17 years old.

Even though Flay's father, who was a restaurant partner, set up the job, the teenager's skills caught the attention of Joe Allen himself — so much so that he paid for Flay's education at the French Culinary Institute.

Over time, Flay became an extremely successful restaurateur. He is also an accomplished cookbook author and Food Network personality.

World-renowned chef Ramsay originally worked toward a career as a soccer player, but that changed after a damaging knee injury. So he enrolled in college to study hotel management and began his culinary legacy.

With multiple Michelin stars to his name, the chef is now widely known as one of the most successful cooks in the world.

He has restaurants around the globe, as well as a variety of Fox television series, including "Hell's Kitchen," "Kitchen Nightmares," "MasterChef," and "MasterChef Junior."

Even though she's one of the most famous and influential women in the culinary industry, Child didn't seriously take on cooking until she was 36.

In 1948, after leaving her job handling top-secret WWII information at the OSS, Child and her husband moved to France, where she began her cooking education at Le Cordon Bleu.

She published "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" in 1961, which helped launch her heralded career.

Child died in 2004. She is still known for her cookbooks and many television series, most notably, "The French Chef."

Oliver was exposed to the culinary industry from a young age, as his parents were owners of a successful pub and restaurant in Clavering, Essex.

He left school at 16 to attend Westminster Catering College and pursue his passion for food.

He's now known for his hit series, like BBC's "The Naked Chef" and Channel 4's "Jamie's Kitchen," as well as his successful restaurants and cookbooks.

Known for her fun personality and spiky hair, Burrell didn't start her culinary career until after college.

Before moving to Italy and enrolling in the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners, Burrell attended Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, where she received a degree in English and communications.

She's since become a restaurateur, cookbook author, and Food Network star, appearing on shows like "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef," "Worst Cooks in America," and "Iron Chef America."

Bourdain went to Vassar College for two years before leaving to train at the Culinary Institute of America.

According to a 2010 Forbes feature, he spent 25 years as an unknown Manhattan cook.

After getting treatment for drug addiction, he became the chef of Brasserie Les Halles, and eventually began writing for The New Yorker, a move that heralded his career as a chef and food journalist.

Bourdain died by suicide in 2018, and is still known as an icon in the culinary world. His cookbooks and television series solidified him as an expert in international cuisine.

After graduating from Howard University's business school, Hall was an accountant for two years. She then became a runway model.

While modeling, she traveled around Europe, where she realized her passion for food.

Hall's public culinary journey began when she competed on Bravo's "Top Chef" and "Top Chef: All Stars."

In addition to hosting ABC's talk show "The Chew" for years, she's appeared on a variety of Food Network series, like "Bakeaway Camp" and "Worst Cooks in America."

She also hosts "Say Yes! With Carla Hall," a podcast that features inspirational interviews with successful figures.

At 14 years old, Food Network star and world-renowned pastry chef Goldman got his start in the culinary industry by working at a bagel shop.

Eventually, he attended the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone and began honing his skills.

After opening up his now-famous bakery Charm City Cakes in 2002 and launching his Food Network series "Ace of Cakes" in 2006, Goldman became well-known as a dessert icon.

He's appeared on Food Network's seasonal "Baking Championship" series, "Worst Bakers in America," and "Buddy vs. Duff."

In 2020, he released a cookbook for kids.

Cora first pursued biology and physiology at the University of Southern Mississippi.

After she graduated, she went on to study at the Culinary Institute of America and began her successful career as a chef, author, philanthropist, and restaurateur.

In addition to her appearances on shows like Bravo's "Around the World in 80 Plates," Fox's "My Kitchen Rules," and ABC's "Family Food Fight," Cora was the first female Iron Chef on "Iron Chef America."