Chef Paul Prudhomme grazed by bullet (just a flesh wound, he kept on cooking)

AP on Yahoo ^ | 3/25/08 | AP

[NormsRevenge]

GRETNA, La. - Celebrated chef Paul Prudhomme was setting up his cooking tent on the practice range at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on Tuesday morning when he felt a sting in his right arm, just above his elbow.

Prudhomme shook his shirt sleeve and a .22 caliber bullet fell to the ground, a spokesman for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said.

Deputies believe Prudhomme was hit by a falling bullet, probably shot about 9:30 a.m. from somewhere within a 1 1/2-mile radius of the golf course, said Col. John Fortunato. Prudhomme did not require medical attention.

"He thought it was a bee sting," Fortunato said. "Within five minutes, he was back to doing his thing."

Witnesses said the bullet cut Prudhomme's skin on his arm and put a hole in his white chef's coat. But Prudhomme continued cooking until he left the course about 3:30 p.m.

Prudhomme, who , was at the course to cook for players, their caddies and guests at the annual PGA Tour event, which begins Thursday and runs through Sunday.

Prudhomme, who grew up outside Opelousas, rose to prominence after being named the first American-born executive chef of New Orleans restaurant Commander's Palace in 1975. He landed on the national stage as the chef-owner of K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen. He's also appeared several times as a guest on television network morning news shows and late night talk shows.

[NormsRevenge]

Chef Paul Prudhomme reacts during an interview at his K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen in Harahan, La., Thursday, Sept. 22, 2005. Prudhomme was setting up his cooking tent on the practice range at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 when he felt a sting in his right arm, just above his elbow. A spokesman for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, said Prudhomme shook his shirt sleeve and a .22 caliber bullet fell to the ground. Deputies believe Prudhomme was hit by a falling bullet, probably shot about 9:30 a.m. from somewhere within a 1 1/2-mile radius of the golf course. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

[Rebelbase]

T’was the ghost of Redfish Past.

[mylife]

Tough Cookie ping

[Hunble]

Something about being able to hit a barn door...

[television is just wrong]

he looks like he’s lost a lot of weight

[Kirkwood]

BAM! Oh wait... wrong chef.
Glad he is OK. Great chef and a nice guy.

[Hunble]

Actually, I think that Emeril was a student of Prudhomme.

[NonValueAdded]

Now he’s qualified to answer the red phone at 3 AM.

[ryan71]

So cooking in Louisiana is more dangerous than...dodging sniper fire in Kosovo?

[elmer fudd]

Probably someone in the area was hunting birds or squirrels in the treetops.

[ozarkgirl]

Admirable fellow. I ain’t afraid of guns, but if I thought I’d been shot, would be hard to carry on as if nothing had happened. I’m pretty impressed.

[mylife]

He ducked his head and made a dash for the gumbo with the nuclear football tucked under his arm, all the while deflecting bullets with a ladle.

Hillary could learn a thing or two here.

[myprecious]

someone in the area was hunting birds or squirrels in the treetops

Probably a chef assistant looking for something to put in the gumbo pot.

[eXe]

Not only that.. be now he CAN say he was cooking “Under Sniper fire” haha and be more truthful than Hillary :)

[Kirkwood]

I think they both worked at Commander’s at the same time when Paul was the executive chef, but I’m probably doing a hillary and misremembering.

[Hunble]

It really does not matter, since Chef Paul Prudhomme taught me so much about cooking.

Today, there is not a single meal that I cook, that is not influenced in some way by Chef Paul Prudhomme, and he has earned my respect.

However, that does not stop me from making "barn door" jokes!

[Hunble]

I just checked my kitchen and I still have several bottles of his:

1) Chef Paul Prudhomme's "Seafood Magic."

2) Chef Paul Prudhomme's "Blackened Steak Magic."

He taught America how to blacken fish and steaks, and I use his methods all the time.

[Kirkwood]

Have you ever eaten at K-Paul’s? Even the locals go there, although it is considered a tourist restaurant. I put on my flak jacket and go to NOLA a couple times a week just to get a great meal.

[MS.BEHAVIN]

Love the man!
Can’t keep a great Cajun cook down!