Prime Time Chefs

New Orleanians have always loved to cook and to share what they've made with others. So it makes sense that as soon as there was television, there was a Crescent City chef on the screen spreading the good news of New Orleans food. The first was an African American cooking star named Lena Richard, who made her TV debut on WDSU-TV in 1949. Fast forward to today, and it’s tough to tune in to any cooking show and not see a familiar face. This week, three local chefs walk us through the fun and the frenzy of their television encounters. We begin with Mason Hereford of Turkey and the Wolf and Molly's Rise and Shine, who talks about his experience in the lauded Iron Chef competition as well as his popular appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers. More recently, Mason took part in another media adventure and host Poppy Tooker went along for the ride. Next, chef and YouTube star Toya Boudy explains the strategies she used when making her rounds on cooking competition shows. Toya talks about her life and mission, which she talks about in her first cookbook, Cooking for the Culture: Recipes and Stories from the Streets of New Orleans to the Table. Finally, Chef Kevin Belton tells of his journey from a child growing up in New Orleans to cooking show host on PBS affiliate WYES and WWL-TV. For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.