John David Folse (born July 9, 1946) is an American

chef A chef is a trained professional cook and tradesman who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term ''chef de cuisine'' (), the director or head of a kitche ...

, restaurant owner, and television host. A lifelong resident of

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

, he is seen as a leading authority on

Cajun The Cajuns (; French: ''les Cadjins'' or ''les Cadiens'' ), also known as Louisiana ''Acadians'' (French: ''les Acadiens''), are a Louisiana French ethnicity mainly found in the U.S. state of Louisiana. While Cajuns are usually described as ...

and Creole cuisine and culture.

Early life

Folse was born on July 9, 1946 in St. James Parish, Louisiana, on the

German Coast The German Coast (French: ''Côte des Allemands'', Spanish: ''Costa Alemana'', German: ''Deutsche Küste'') was a region of early Louisiana settlement located above New Orleans, and on the west bank of the Mississippi River. Specifically, from ea ...

of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

Restaurants and other ventures

In 1978, Folse opened Lafitte's Landing Restaurant in the historic Viala Plantation House near Donaldsonville in St. James Parish south of

Baton Rouge Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-sma ...

. In 2002,

Bittersweet Plantation Dairy Bittersweet Plantation Dairy was an artisanal dairy in Louisiana ittersweet Plantation Dairy April 9, 2004 Cheese Reporter that produced award-winning cheeses, yogurts ice cream, and butter. It was started by Chef John Folse. Offerings included fro ...

opened, and offers a full line of fresh and aged cheeses, butters, yogurts and ice cream. In November 2019, Folse opened Folse Market in the state-of-the-art

New Orleans International Airport Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport ( French: ''Aéroport international Louis Armstrong de La Nouvelle-Orléans'') is an international airport under Class B airspace in Kenner, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is ...

. As the anchor restaurant of Concourse C, Folse Market serves a traditional taste of New Orleans cuisine to travelers.

TV and radio

Chef Folse has for many years hosted a culinary radio show on Saturdays called "Stirrin' It Up!" The show is broadcast on many stations throughout the state of Louisiana, chiefly

WBRP WBRP (107.3 FM) is an American radio station broadcasting a talk radio format. Licensed to Baker, Louisiana, United States, the station serves the Baton Rouge area. The station is currently owned by Guaranty Broadcasting Company of Baton Rouge ...

TALK 107.3 FM, Baton Rouge. The show is usually co-hosted by Michaela D. York, his director of communications and marketing. The TV version of Stirrin' It Up is broadcast during the afternoon news hour on

WAFB WAFB (channel 9) is a television station A television station is a set of equipment managed by a business, organisation or other entity, such as an amateur television (ATV) operator, that transmits video content and audio content via radio ...

TV, Baton Rouge. WAFB and Folse partnered to create a Stirrin' It Up app containing episodes and recipes, available through the iTunes store. Folse previously served as the marketing specialist on the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board. He is a member of Chaines des Rotisseurs, and the Sister Dulce Foundation Board.

Bibliography

Folse is the author of: *''The Evolution of Cajun & Creole Cuisine'' (1990) *''Chef John Folse's Plantation Celebrations'' (1994), a cookbook focusing on recipes whose origins can be traced to Louisiana plantations along the

*''Louisiana Sampler'' (1996), a collection of recipes from Louisiana Fairs & Festivals *''Hot Beignets & Warm Boudoirs'' (1999), a guide to Louisiana bed-and-breakfast inns and their recipes *''The Encyclopedia of Cajun & Creole Cuisine'' (2004) *''After the Hunt-Louisiana's Authoritative Collection of Wild Game & Game Fish Cookery'' (2007) Folse also co-authored: *''Something Old & Something New-Louisiana Cooking With A Change of Heart'' (1997), with Craig M. Walker, a cookbook of healthy versions of traditional Cajun and Creole cuisine *''Hooks, Lies & Alibis-Louisiana's Authoritative Collection of Game Fish & Seafood Cookery'' (2009) with co-author Michaela D. York. *''Can You Dig It-Louisiana's Authoritative Collection of Vegetable Cookery'' (2015) with co-author Michaela D. York.

References

External links

Official site Nicholls State University biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Folse, John Living people 1946 births American television chefs American male chefs People from St. James Parish, Louisiana People from Donaldsonville, Louisiana People from Baton Rouge, Louisiana Louisiana cuisine American restaurateurs