1.   Although both cook, Brian, a management consultant for restaurant chains and a former professional chef, knew what kind of a kitchen he wanted.

2.   A former Florida chef, Harry Schwartz, has made it to the TV big time.

3.   Alfred F. Ehrlich, a former chef, now helps place chefs with restaurants and owners.

4.   Debra Ponzek, a former executive chef at Montrachet in TriBeCa, also compromises on neither tradition nor culinary ingenuity.

5.   Diane Bates, an artist and a former chef on private yachts, considers her personality and skills well-suited to the bed-and-breakfast business.

6.   Gray Kunz, the former chef at Lespinasse, created seared red snapper with a tamarind and lime-leaf reduction.

7.   He, a European-trained chef and former personal chef to Charles du Gaulle, is a master in the kitchen.

8.   Its former chef Daniele Baliani, who garnered much praise for his clean and classical Italian dishes, left several years ago.

9.   It was created by Robert McGrath, former executive chef at the Four Seasons Hotel in Houston.

10.   Kent Rathburn of Dallas, former executive chef at the Melrose Ho- tel and current corporate chef for Dani Catering, vividly recalls his worst cooking nightmare.