Sara Moulton has done more than her share to raise the status of women in the male-dominated culinary world. After years of training and working in restaurants, her displeasure over the industry's sexism led her to co-found the New York Women's Culinary Alliance -- an "old girls' network" designed to help women in the food business -- in 1982.

A native of New York, Sara graduated with high honors from the Culinary Institute of America before devoting herself to the study of classical cuisine in France. Upon her return to the U.S., Sara began her career as a chef, beginning in Boston and then moving to New York, where she capped her restaurant career as chef tournant at La Tulipe.

It was also in New York that Sara began teaching cooking classes and working at Gourmet magazine.