Everyone Needs A Mentor.

My Food Is Louisiana, New Orleans-based, Well-seasoned, Rustic. I Think It's Pretty Unique Because Of My Background Being Influenced By My Mom, Portuguese And French Canadian. There's A Lot Going On There.

You Know, In 1975 I Couldn't Get A Job In New York City Because I Was American. The Kitchens Were Predominantly Run By French, Swiss, German, And Basically I Got Laughed At. I Had Education, I Had Experience, But Got Laughed At Because I Was American.

I Ended Up Turning Down A Full Scholarship Of Music At The Conservatory To Pay To Go To Cooking School.

I Try To Teach My Son About Sanitation, Especially When Handling Foods Like Chicken That Could Be Dangerous. I Remind Him To Wash His Hands All The Time. When My Son Cooks With Me, He Stands On A Step Stool So He Can Reach The Stove. I Teach Him About Safety And Fire.

I Respected It. I Submerged Myself Into It. So On A Lot Of Days Off I Would Go And Fish With The Fishermen And The Families That Ran The Boats. I Would Go Work The Fields With Farmers. I Would Go And Talk With Farmers About Growing Particular Products For Me.