In addition to your go-to crop of beauty and fashion tastemakers you follow religiously, it might be worth adding some food-focused influencers to your Instagram follow roster in 2024. The latest crop of chefs and culinary artists are making serious moves in the industry, whether through their unique and innovative creations or killer style — or both.
Since the start of a new year is typically a time to rethink aspects of our day-to-day — like one’s eating habits — a little inspiration by way of a cool, emerging chef will definitely prove useful. And, to be clear, these emerging talents are a far cry from the behind-the-counter TV stars of yore you grew up watching cook up macaroni and cheese and patty melts. Many of these red-hot cooks are turning heads because of the their fresh takes on healthy and sustainable eating — here’s looking at you, Maryah Ananda and Sophie Roe — or their penchant for non-traditional ingredients and flavor combinations.
Indeed, the new year could truly be a culinary awakening for you, if you play your cards right and take a page from one of the brilliant chefs and culinary artists below. At the very least, their social accounts will help make meal prep on Sundays a bit less boring.
Just as a painter would bring a blank canvas to life, Ananda, who is also a model and DJ, does so with an empty plate, which is why she defines herself as a culinary artist. Each meal or event is an opportunity to create something special and beautiful with food. Ananda’s IG is reflective of this, as it’s chock-full visually stunning — and unique — edible masterpieces like savory miso oats and pumpkin focaccia. “I love plating things with lots of herbs, edible flowers, and colors that dance with each other,” she explained in a March 2023 interview with TZR. “I just love the concept of vibrant bounty. So with that said, I also love playing with colors, patterns, and textures in both food and fashion.”
Just like her home and her personal style, Baz’s approach to food can be described in one word: fun. In fact, the cook’s latest book is appropriately titled More Is More, further demonstrating her need to keep things light and bright in her monochromatic yellow kitchen. And let’s be real, with dishes like sweet cotija and sesame pancakes and spicy coconut-smothered green beans, it’s hard to envision anything but a good time, right?
I had the pleasure of experiencing this Parisian private chef’s culinary masterpieces firsthand at a recent holiday dinner, and I’m still dreaming about that decadent meal. The culinary expert — who is also a model and photographer — manages to create elevated takes on comfort foods that feel far from pretentious or stuffy. Think rich plates of boeuf bourguignon — Toulin’s family recipe — miso acorn squash, and yuzu pavlova. Truly, Toulin is a must-follow on IG: Between her mouthwatering food captures and effortless style moments, she’s one to watch in 2024.
You probably already recognize Kish from Top Chef. In addition to winning the cooking competition in Season 10, the Korean-born culinary expert was also recently announced as the next host of the show, replacing Padma Lakshmi. Indeed, the coming year will be a big one for the cookbook author and restaurant owner, whose cooking style “melds precise training and technique rooted in French and Italian traditions.” And while Kish’s IG is certainly sprinkled with some of her famous recipes — her “perfect fish and chips” are a sight for sore eyes — it’s her travels and sweet moments with family and friends that’ll likely keep you engaged and inspired.
Another chef whose work I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing firsthand, Melissa Norton’s take on Italian cuisine will truly leave you captivated. This is likely because her education and training was about as authentic as it gets, taking place in Calabria, Italy where “where local ingredients reign supreme,” says the private chef on her website. Her love for the country — which she still revisits regularly to glean new inspiration — is evident in her unique and timeless dishes, from the Passion Fruit Lemon Olive Oil Cake (my favorite) to her Spaghetti al Limone. If you’re a lover of pasta and all things Italian, she’s one to follow.
You might recognize Valdes from The Drew Barrymore Show, where she serves as a culinary contributor. As it happens, the Manila-born chef actually started as Barrymore’s personal chef way back in 2018, but the actor and TV host quickly realized she had a gem on her hands and began encouraging Valdes to step into the spotlight a bit more and take her creations to the masses. While reluctant at first, Valdes eventually embraced being Barrymore’s culinary partner in crime, and now has a cookbook and regular slot on a successful TV program to show for it. She also has Kickshaw Cookery, her catering and private chef business that is blowing up at the moment. And it’s not any wonder, with things like lamb dumplings and lemon-cheddar gougeres on the menu.
It is highly likely you are already one of the many Sophia Roe fans (she currently has a whopping 509K followers on Instagram), having seen her work her magic on the Emmy-nominated Tastemade show Counter Space. And, in all honesty, the Brooklyn-based chef and writer is worthy of all the praise and recognition she’s garnered these past few years. Through her culinary art and passion for educating others on the inequalities in our food systems, Roe is igniting a fresh dialogue as it pertains to what we eat. “I just want people to understand that there are a lot of different places that their food comes from,” Roe said in a Jan 2023 interview with The Cut. “There are a lot of stories behind these foods and a lot of ideas and reasons why a person might eat the way that they eat.”
