Photo by Stephen Binns.
The family of late chef Paul Prudhomme, known for his outstanding culinary skills, thick Cajun accent, and pristine white uniform, has donated his personal collection of more than six hundred cookbooks and wine-and-food documents to the Southern Food & Beverage Museum in New Orleans.
The collection, which consists mostly of cookbooks and some publications about the science of food, is available for reference use in the museum’s John and Bonnie Boyd Hospitality & Culinary Library. Some books are in languages other than English; others have notes written by Prudhomme in the margins.
“The collection is invaluable, priceless,” said Elizabeth Williams, president of the National Food & Beverage Foundation and a founder of the Southern Food & Beverage Museum. “It adds so much to the richness and depth of our library. To continue to receive the trust of the people who give us these things is a great responsibility, but also a great feeling.”
Williams foresees chefs and culinary students using the books, which will be a permanent fixture in the library. The library also features eleven thousand volumes of culinary books and documents, along with the personal archives of famous chefs such as Norman Van Aken, Louis Osteen, Dale DeGroff, and others. “Van Aken is probably as important to Florida as Prudhomme is to Louisiana cuisine,” said Williams. The library will also house the Menu Project, an ongoing effort to collect, catalog, and digitize menus from every restaurant in the South.
To peruse the Prudhomme collection and the rest of the library’s collection, visit The Southern Food & Beverage Museum, located at 1609 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard in New Orleans. Library hours are Monday through Friday, 10 am to 5 pm, and by appointment. For more information, call (504) 267-7490.
