More chefs are answering home cooks’ queries via email and instant messages, reports the WSJ.

A growing number of chefs are communicating with home cooks via phone, email and instant-messaging services. Web-based services like ChefsLine.com and Chefs.com, both launched in the past year, let anyone contact a chef for help with a cooking crisis or a routine query.

… The most accessible chefs aren’t generally big names, but they include restaurant chefs, personal chefs and cooking instructors with backgrounds in diverse cuisines.

The options for home cooks are growing in part because a new generation of chefs and restaurateurs are becoming more savvy about reaching out to the public to promote their businesses. Some see Web chats and blogs as ways to showcase their knowledge and personalities, in an industry that has gained considerable glamour in recent years, while others are simply looking to gain customers.