CNN — Food fanatics may recognize John Besh from his stints on TV shows like "The Next Iron Chef" and "Top Chef Masters," but New Orleans residents know the Louisiana-raised chef and ex-Marine as an evangelist for local food culture.
After Hurricane Katrina devastated his city in 2005, Besh rallied the teams at his flagship restaurant August to feed the Police Department, National Guard troops, evacuees, refugees and medical personnel. He also set up field kitchens for rural parish residents after hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2008.
Besh's 2009 love letter to his city's distinctive cuisine, a nearly 400-page volume of recipes, photographs, stories and field guides to local ingredients entitled "My New Orleans" was recently named best cookbook of the year by the International Association of Culinary Professionals.
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