(July 13, 1940 – October 8, 2015)
Paul Prudhomme also known as Gene Autry Prudhomme, was an American celebrity chef whose specialty was Creole cuisine, and who was credited with popularising the cuisine. He was the chef proprietor of K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen in New Orleans, and had previously owned and run several other restaurants. He developed several culinary products, including hot sauce and seasoning mixes, and wrote a number of cookbooks.
Prudhomme had a long running issue with his weight, resulting in him working from an electric wheelchair on occasion. In order to lose weight, he wrote his 1993 cookbook, Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Fork in the Road, which he deliberately avoided marketing as a low fat cookbook in order to prevent customers from being put off by the premise after testing the recipes at K-Paul’s Kitchen in New Orleans. In 1986, Prudhomme’s second wife, Kay, was diagnosed with lung cancer. After seven years, she died on December 31, 1993.
Prudhomme died in New Orleans on October 8, 2015 after a brief illness. He is survived by his wife, Lori.
