John Besh Who doesn’t like the bold and spicy flavors of the Creole and Cajun cuisines of Southern Louisiana? For many people, this question conjures up images of steaming bowls of gumbo or fresh caught Gulf shrimp. At a time before Food Network, people outside of Louisiana had to go there or see these glorious images on the Public Broadcasting Station. Since then PBS has given rise to several great chefs, John Besh being one of them. John Besh, restaurateur, cookbook author, television chef personality has been an influence to many people as he spreads the word about the Creole and Cajun cuisine in Southern Louisiana. John Besh, owning and/or co-owning eleven restaurants is a true inspiration to up and coming chefs. His restaurant August is a combination of his classical training (he attended the Culinary Institute of America) and his southern roots. It was a semifinalist in 2012 and 2013 for the “James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant” and semifinalist in 2015 for the “James Beard Award for Outstanding Service”. And his restaurant La Provence is on a three acre farm promoting the new farm-to-table movement which is on the rise. [www.johnbesh.com.,2015] Most chefs would just be pleased to own one successful restaurant. But not only is he an accomplished restaurateur, he has four cookbooks…show more content… [www.johnbesh.com,2015] In them, he shares his passion for fresh locally sourced products and family recipes. He uses them to influence new chefs to use sustainable seafood and in-season produce to create their own amazing dishes. My Family Table: A Passionate Plea for Home Cooking, his second cookbook was to motivate more people to cook at home with their families and share family recipes. Although, it was his first cookbook My New Orleans that helped pave the way to many TV
