But it still is a good profession for women, Cooper said. It is a profession that also is becoming increasingly more open to women, Cooper said. When she was in school, she did not have any female instructors, much less any female role models. Now, there are female chefs at all levels of the profession, and increasingly, these chefs are working to make a difference. Not only are they mentoring younger female chefs, but they also are taking steps to improve the environment of the profession with such measures as providing child care or flextime for workers.
Many female chefs are also involved in causes such as fighting hunger.
In 1993, the Women Chefs and Restaurateurs was organized in response to the need for a networking system for women in the industry, and in 1989, the American Culinary Federation formed the Chef and the Child Foundation, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering an awareness of proper nutrition in preschool and elementary school children. While each book details struggles and triumphs of women chefs, the books each have different strengths and approaches. Piper also is profiled and featured in Cooper's book. Russell's book is perhaps the most stylistically sophisticated of the bunch, including not only profiles and portraits of the chefs, but also lush photographs of the chef's kitchens, restaurants and specialties. The only shortcoming in Russell's book is that, while there are some lush photographs of food, those dishes aren't always included in the recipe section.