New interviews are on the way. But today, a spotlight on news from one of my all-time favorite meals with a stranger: Frank Brigtsen, legendary New Orleans chef, has finally been talked into writing a cookbook.
But as Frank – the 100th person featured on Dining With Strangers – told NOLA.com recently, he “didn’t approach this as a cookbook, I viewed it as my life story. . . . I wanted to chronicle my life experience and the knowledge I’ve gained working in kitchens over more than 50 years.”
The cookbook, “Color of Flavor,” came about in part due to the persistence of Ricky Thomas, owner of Blue Runner Foods and a regular at Frank’s landmark restaurant Brigtsen’s, now in its fourth decade. Thomas finally got Frank’s agreement over dinner one night, offering to finance and produce the book himself. The result features 150 recipes, family photography, and the “Frankisms” regulars have been collecting for decades, all built around his old kitchen adage that gives the book its title – as Frank says, “brown is the color of flavor.”
Frank shared his life story with me back in 2017 when I was visiting his city. He walked me through his menu at Brigtsen’s, one dish at a time, working backward through Chef Paul Prudhomme, Hurricane Katrina, and 31 years in the same Riverbend cottage. He talked at length about his duty to local history whenever he steps into the kitchen.
“When I put on this white jacket,” he said, tugging at his chef’s coat, “I’m putting on 299 years of Creole history.”