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series.” Almost speechless, Kevin remembered: “As I left Beth’s house, I called Chef up on the phone. I felt like I was asking permission. I said to him, ‘I was told you’re stepping back, and they’ve approached me about it.’” The legendary Chef Prudhomme immediately replied, “Take it! Do it and make it your own!” Today Kevin has completed four 26-episode series accompanied by companion cookbooks. PBS affiliates across the country broadcast his popular show. Kevin credits all he knows today from the priceless knowledge shared so freely with him by New Orleans’ cooking greats. “I have childhood memories of eating at Dooky’s and was eventually blessed to be with Miss Leah in her kitchen. To stand at the stove and be friends with Paul Prudhomme; to hang out with Louis Evans in the Pontchar train Hotel kitchen and with Mike Roussell at Brennan’s,” he marveled. “They taught me and showed me the food but, more importantly, they showed me how to treat people, how to handle the business end of it, as well,” he reflected. Kevin’s thoughts always return to the women in his life. As important as Kevin’s mom and Nan were in making him the man he is, he credits his beloved wife, Monica, for making him look good today. “Anything you see me do, know it came from her first!” he said emphatically. The inseparable pair make quite a team, as evidenced in Kevin’s latest book, Cookin’ Louisiana , co-authored with Monica. While Tuesdays remain Kevin’s cooking day at WWL, over time he has become a special field reporter for the station. “When some of the other guys show up, everybody looks around, like, ‘Uh-oh! Who’s getting indicted?’ But when I show up they say, ‘Chef Kev’s here! We’re going to have some fun.’” Just as Frank Davis had his Naturally N’awlins beat, Kevin is busy developing new segments for WWL News called So New Orleans . “It’s about what makes us, us. Think about how we give directions — everything’s lakeside, riverside, uptown, downtown. The crazy way we pronounce things in different neighborhoods…our food,” Kevin laughed. One thing is certain. No matter what Kevin Belton has a hand in, he is always in it with all of his heart.

KEVIN BELTON’S COOKIN’ LOUISIANA: FLAVORS FROM THE PARISHES OF THE PELICAN STATE , 2021 ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Kevin Belton’s fourth cookbook and television series focus on the amazing food found throughout Louisiana. The star of New Orleans Cooking with Kevin Belton heads to multiple parishes found across Louisiana to explore dishes and unique flavor profiles associated with each area of the state.

20 ROUSES WINT ER 2022