ROUSES_JanFeb2019_Magazine

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

influence that African American cooks and chefs have had on New Orleans culi- nary culture. But in the process, he also chronicled an era of restaurant history that was fast passing away. In those days, before cooking became a cool career choice, the majority of the cooks and many of the chefs in the city’s finest restaurants were African American. The University of New Orleans Press will release a new paperback edition of the book in the spring [of 2019]. The book’s full title is Creole Feast: 15 Master Chefs RevealTheir Secrets .This new edition prom- ises that the chefs and restaurants featured in the book, many of whom are no longer with us, will once again have a moment in the spotlight. Annie Laura Squalls, Roch- ester Anderson and Louis Evans from the Caribbean Room; Charles Bailey from the Grand Hotel; Malcolm Ross and Larry Williamson from Galatoire’s; Rosa Bargainer from Corinne Dunbar’s; Louise Joshua and Letitia Parker at Bon Ton Café; Henry Carr at Pascal’s Manale; Sherman Crayton from the Vieux Carre Restaurant; Charles Kirkland at Brous- sard’s; Austin Leslie from Chez Helene; Leah Chase from Dooky Chase’s Restau- rant; and, of course, Nathaniel Burton from Broussard’s. “In this book we introduce the reader to an elite group of Black chefs and cooks who in our opinion make up the finest selec- tion of Creole cooking talent in the world. All of them are professionals who have held or are at present holding top culinary positions in the most renowned and wide- ly acclaimed restaurants in New Orleans. “The men and women who make up this prestigious circle of chefs are all primar- ily self-taught rather than formally trained. Almost without exception they began their professional careers as dishwashers. Along the way they received help, guidance and assistance (were tutored, if you will) from other professionals who, like them, also lacked formal training. In this sense, they are proud heirs to the rich legacy of Creole cuisine they have inherited from Black professional cooks. And it is certainly to their credit that they have perfected the art of Creole cooking in almost complete anonymity and frequently in a hostile environment.”

The senior chefs among those included here often talk for hours about the other Black chefs who were their peers and teachers. Their reminiscences reflect the great mutual respect and the enormous pride they take in their profession. As one of the senior chefs said, “To the chefs I worked with every order was important, and there was always an attempt to cook it to perfection; to make it something you could be proud of.”

“The only reason why I wasn’t in the book was he couldn’t find me,” said Jackson, 75, who will be moving back to New Orleans from Atlanta later this year. Jackson went on to work for the late Al Copeland in the founding of the Copeland’s of New Orleans restau- rant chain. The late Michael Roussel was chef at Brennan’s for 30 years, starting in 1974.

AUSTIN LESLIE

He was featured on the PBS television show Great Chefs of New Orleans . His successor, Lazone Randolph, continued to work at Brennan’s, overseeing the making of thousands of pots of gumbo and made- to-order omelettes for the restaurant’s famous brunches. He went on to helm the short-lived Ted Brennan’s Decatur. Other chefs weren’t included perhaps because their restaurants were not the kind of white-tablecloth establishments that were featured. Clarence “Buster” Holmes operated Buster Holmes’ Bar and Restaurant at 721 Burgundy Street for decades. “Buster wasn’t a fancy cook, but everything that came out of his kitchen was down-home,” Tom Sancton wrote

Even when the book was first published there were some notable African Ameri- can chefs who were not included.Lombard acknowledges that in his introduction when he lists Charles Hall, a 25-year veteran of the Monteleone Hotel; Isaac Harris, a 40-year veteran of Commander’s Palace and Brennan’s; Bob Richards, a 25-year veteran of Commander’s Palace; and Dan Williams, a 15-year veteran of the Pontchartrain Hotel. Perhaps most notable in that number was Stanley Jackson, who worked at Commander’s Palace and K-Paul’s before being selected by Lombard to be his part- ner in opening Lombard’s Restaurant in Oakland.

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