NEW ORLEANS MOURNS CHEF PAUL PRUDHOMME

Posted on 10/09/2015

Paul Prudhomme was one of the original “celebrity chefs.” He popularized Louisiana cuisine - especially Cajun cuisine - gumbos, jambalaya, dirty rice and his famous blackened redfish. He was one of the original proponents of using fresh, local ingredients and was a pioneer of today’s popular farm to table movement. Paul Prudhomme died on Thursday in New Orleans. He was 75.  
Stephen Perry, president and CEO, New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau and Mark Romig, president and CEO, New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation, put out the following statement: “The New Orleans tourism industry mourns an iconic figure with the loss of Chef Paul Prudhomme. A giant in placing New Orleans on the map as a world culinary city, Chef Prudhomme introduced Cajun and Creole cuisine to an enthusiastic audience of food lovers around the globe. “From his early days at Commander’s Palace with Ella and Dick Brennan, to the restaurant founded and named with his late wife K-Paul's, Chef Paul truly changed the world of American Cuisine. He was a role model for untold students and professionals alike. His Blackened Redfish and Turducken, among many other imaginative creations, have become favorites the world over because of his award-winning and innovative genius.

“Chef Paul Prudhomme will live in the hearts of New Orleanians and culinary enthusiasts for generations to come. Our thoughts and prayers are with Chef Paul’s family and his employees.” Prudhomme’s restaurants attracted huge crowds and widespread acclaim. He was a regular guest on television shows, hosted several cooking shows and authored nine cookbooks, many of them bestsellers.