MEET THE AUTHOR


A native New Orleanian, Richard’s interest in food commenced in his teen years, having grown up enjoying Creole cooking as daily pleasure. The New Orleans pantry held constant temptations - Creole tomatoes, gulf shrimp, blue crabs and fresh okra, eggplants and peppers during the hot summer; oysters, local citrus and abundant varieties of fresh greens and winter vegetables in the cooler months (some say there are really only two seasons in New Orleans); Louisiana strawberries and of course crawfish in the spring; not to mention local sausages, fish and game available year round. Playing with the ingredients at hand, reading cookbooks and experimenting were a hobby that blossomed into a career.

After stints at several New Orleans restaurants and earning a Business Administration degree specializing in Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Administration, Richard settled in at the Gumbo Shop, rising to Executive Chef and then President of the restaurant and catering company. Concurrent endeavors included posts as Culinary Instructor for courses at several area cooking schools and universities, and a year as food writer for Offbeat Magazine, a local music and culture monthly.

All this experience culminated in self publishing GUMBO SHOP, A New Orleans Restaurant Cookbook, what Stewart refers to as one of the most fun projects of his career, up to now. Other cuisines of interest to him include Indian, Italian and Middle Eastern.