Welcome to Chow Bella's Bites & Dishes, where Valley chefs and restaurateurs respond to a question New Times food critic Laura Hahnefeld has on her mind. Have a question you'd like to ask? E-mail [email protected]

Last month, Time magazine published an issue called "Gods of Food," a male-centric look on those who influence "what (and how) we eat." The main portion of the article, the 13 Gods of Food, did not include a single female chef.

When the food blog Eater asked Time magazine editor Howard Chua-Eoan why no female chefs made the list and why the only two covered in the section were pastry chefs with a brief sidebar mention, Chua-Eoan said Time "simply reflected the 'harsh reality' of the culinary world."

Is Time's lack of representation of female chefs a product of restaurant industry reality, media bias, or both? And how does it reflect the reality of the restaurant industry in Phoenix?

Here's the perspective of 10 Valley chefs.