Alice Waters(I)

She is an influential chef who attracted national attention for promoting food education in schools and for being a leading advocate of a stimulus package that works to give a healthy breakfast and lunch for every child in the public school system.

When I was invited to New York to receive an award, out of 25 chefs I was the only woman. We each presented a dish. All the men had fancy French dishes. I had brought a salad. I will never forget how self-conscious I was. I keep saying, "I borrowed the bowl from James Beard. I made the vinaigrette." It was excruciating to think I had been so naive. And yet when they reviewed the dishes, all they talked about was the salad.