Chef Guest Blogger

This week we start our "Guest Blogger Series."  This series will feature 12 people over the next twelve months.  We will start with a guest chef this month and then alternate with a guest Registered Dietitian.  They will each blog on some topic of their choice that relates to cooking and eating.  Some of them will be healthy ideas and ways to help you.  Others will be, let's say, less healthy but very tasty.

To start the series, our first chef is Cody Lewis.  Cody is a hometown boy that actually went to school with my children through high school.  He hasn't lived here in many years but still stays connected because of family that are still here.

Cody has been involved with food for 16 years professionally.  He is a graduate of the American Culinary Federation Culinary School in Panama City, Florida.  Cody is a Certified Chef de Cuisine.  He has worked in all areas of the food industry during his career.

I had asked Cody for a few interesting facts about his career.  He gave me three that I've known about him for years that I thought you would enjoy hearing.

1. He was taught by a Master Chef while in culinary school.  After he finished his schooling, Cody went to work for this Master Chef, Jack Shoop at his restaurant.  The restaurant was in Destin, Florida and was called Bistro Bijoux.  The reason this is interesting or significant is that there are fewer than 100 Master Chefs in the United States.  So not a lot of people have the opportunity to work with one.  In my 40 plus years, I've only met a couple of Master Chefs.  I was lucky enough to take a class at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York from a Master Chef.

2. One of Cody's experiences in his career was to have the opportunity to be in-charge of hospitality on a ship.  The ship was moving an oil rig across the Atlantic ocean to Africa.  He prepared all the meals during the trip.

3. Lastly, Cody has worked in New Orleans.  He worked at what is probably one of the most famous restaurant in that town, Commanders Palace.  The restaurant has a 4 Diamond rating and is considered to be one of the top 40 restaurants in America.  It is owned by the Brennan family and has two famous former chefs in Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse.  I don't believe Cody worked with either of these chefs but gained great experience at the Palace.

Tomorrow's blog will have WeightWatcher points for salad.  Thursday, Cody will talk a little about sauces and a recipe of his on Friday and two more recipes on Saturday.  Have a good week.