After her family announced in a statement on Tuesday that the chef Anne Burrell had died at age 55, tributes began pouring in across social media from those who knew her as a longtime Food Network star, a capable and experienced chef and a fledgling comedian.
Ms. Burrell, who first found fame on television as a sous-chef for Mario Batali on “Iron Chef America,” went on to establish herself as a television personality in her own right, initially with “Secrets of a Restaurant Chef” and later co-hosting the show “Worst Cooks in America.” She was a frequent guest on “Chopped,” “House of Knives,” “Food Network Star” and other cooking programs.
Of late, Ms. Burrell had begun dipping her toe into the world of comedy. She performed on Monday in an improv show at Second City New York after attending months of classes. “Can I just say it is so much fun and I am learning so so much!!!” she wrote in an Instagram post in March. “It really helps me get out of my shell … as if I needed that!!”
Here’s what some of Ms. Burrell’s contemporaries have said online about her death and legacy.
Tyler Florence, who hosted “Worst Cooks in America” with Ms. Burrell, recalled her wit and “sincere kindness.”
“Anne had a collage of star tattoos on her left arm. I asked her what they meant and she said she loved the night sky. And, how lucky she felt to be a star,” he said. “She was one of the brightest.”
Chris Santos, a chef on “Chopped,” recalled Ms. Burrell’s ability “to bring so much joy to everyone in the room, every single day. Pure joy.”
Condolences from prominent Food Network personalities and fellow chefs filled the comments section of the network’s Instagram post announcing Ms. Burrell’s death. The “Top Chef” star Eric Adjepong called the news “incredibly sad,” while the chef and restaurateur Ming Tsai wrote that “we lost a good one here.” The chef and Food Network star Chris Valdes remembered Ms. Burrell as “a true culinary force — bold, passionate, and unforgettable. Her fire, laughter and love for food inspired so many.”
Many appreciated Ms. Burrell’s tough advice, both on and off camera. The chef Aarti Sequeira remembered how, when she was appearing on “Food Network Star,” Ms. Burrell advised her not to cry so much on camera. “Anne was a tough but invested teacher, who thought enough of you to tell you the truth without watering it down,” Ms. Sequeira wrote in an Instagram post.
The chef and television personality Carla Hall shared fond memories of working with Ms. Burrell on “Worst Cooks,” calling her “a fierce chef and instructor — rocking her custom skirts, mismatched socks and that unforgettable big smile.”
Others praised her for inspiring the next generation. “Thank you for making cooking fearless, fun and inspiring the next generation of young girls/kids to dare to follow their dreams and to feel that they belong,” said Maneet Chauhan, who won Season 5 of “Chopped,” in an Instagram post.
“She was the most generous spirit, always giving to others, whether mentoring culinary students or helping families during the holidays,” said Melba Wilson of Melba’s in Harlem.
Kat Kinsman, an editor at Food & Wine, wrote in an Instagram story that she first met Ms. Burrell in 2018 at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Colo., in a closed room full of chefs mourning the death of Anthony Bourdain. Ms. Kinsman said they’ll ‘hold that same space” for Ms. Burrell at the food festival this weekend.
In a post on X, the comedian and television host Loni Love recalled Ms. Burrell’s authenticity: “Chef Anne was the same on and off camera,” she wrote. “She would just check on me out the blue. I will miss her tremendously.”
In March, Ms. Burrell posted a passport photo taken when she was in her early 20s, and reflected on the woman she had become since it had been taken. “I am eternally grateful to have been able to have found myself, my people and my craft,” she wrote in the post, which used a hashtag she was known for: #luckygirl.
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Nikita Richardson is an editor in the Food section of The Times.
The post Food Network Chefs and Many Others Pay Tribute to Anne Burrell appeared first on New York Times.
