TV's busiest culinary masters

By Vinnie Penn
Special to MSN TV

"Believe it or not, there are gift shops in most of the places I've been," Anthony Bourdain once told me. Bombs dropping, too. But that won't stop Bourdain, "contemporary cultural anthropologist," cigarette-quitter and quick study that he is, among many other things.

On the surface, his series, "The Layover," did not seem that far removed from his hit series "No Reservations." Again it is as distant a location as possible, with actual roads being a luxury, and cuisine as intriguing as it can be vomit-inducing. For the viewer, anyway.

That said, just how disparate are Rachael Ray's Food Network contributions? In short, if it ain't broke, not only don't fix it, but brand it and reconfigure it as much as you possibly can. Here is a collection of TV's culinary kings and queens and their various television contributions.

Bing: More about Anthony Bourdain | 'No Reservations'

Who's your favorite TV food personality? Tell us at MSN TV on Facebook and Twitter

(Travel Channel)