Chef's mission: saving a city's food culture with New Orleans' John Besh

[Food Network Fan]

Chef's mission: saving a city's food culture

New Orleans' John Besh writes a personal cookbook

By Bill Daley
Tribune Newspapers
October 14, 2009
NEW ORLEANS —

Chef John Besh opened his fifth restaurant a month ago and has his sixth opening in as many days. He's touring the country with a just-published 5-pound, 200-recipe, $45 paean to the region's foodways called "My New Orleans: The Cookbook."

No wonder his coffee order to one of his busboys is polite but direct.

"Make sure that's not decaf," the chef said, pointing at the French press coffee pot heading toward the table in a corner of his flagship Restaurant August.

But Besh didn't look tired or frazzled or grumpy. He clearly was having the time of his life.

Described as the "new leader" of New Orleans chefs, his national stature has been growing, thanks to being the second runner-up on the first season of Food Network's "The Search for the Next Iron Chef" and appearing this summer in Bravo's "Top Chef Masters."



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[Pluff Mudder]

I'm so enjoying reading thru his 5-pound tome. The stories, the great photos, the recipes... all so good.

[ibcheft]

The more I read, the better I like it, and the more I am impressed with John, I can not wait to go to back to New Orleans again, will have to make it a 5 day trip, so I can eat at Emeril's, Delmonico, August, Delmonico, and find Paul Prudhomme's restaurant.