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Celebrity chef Paul Prudhomme dead at 75

The chef was well-known for his Cajun- and Creole- style cooking.

By Marilyn Malara
Celebrity chef Paul Prudhomme stands on the New Orleans Saints sideline during the game against the Minnesota Vikings at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans on Oct. 6, 2008. Prudhomme died after experiencing an illness. He was 75. File Photo by A.J. Sisco/UPI
Celebrity chef Paul Prudhomme stands on the New Orleans Saints sideline during the game against the Minnesota Vikings at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans on Oct. 6, 2008. Prudhomme died after experiencing an illness. He was 75. File Photo by A.J. Sisco/UPI | License Photo

NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 8 (UPI) -- Celebrity chef Paul Prudhomme has died after experiencing a "brief illness" in New Orleans. He was 75.

His prominent French Quarter restaurant, K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen, confirmed the news Thursday morning with Gambit although the cause of death is unknown.

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Prudhomme was an internationally-acclaimed celebrity chef known for his skill in creole and cajun cuisine. He opened K-Paul's in 1979, introducing the greater portion of the United States and the world to rural Louisiana cooking.

The celebrity chef published several cookbooks, released a collection of spices and appeared frequently on cooking shows and other television programs throughout his career.

"Chef Paul Prudhomme changed forever the way Louisiana food is regarded in the world," local food historian Poppy Tooker told Gambit. "He had such an incredible influence on our cuisine that you could find a touch of Paul on restaurant plates across the city and the country today."

Isaac Toups, a fellow New Orleans-based chef, wrote a message of condolences after hearing the news. Sharing a photo of Prudhomme on Instagram, Toups wrote "We lost a culinary legend today."

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Prudhomme was born the youngest of 13 children in Opelousas, La., on July 13, 1940. In 2012, he was honored as a Pioneer of American cuisine by the Culinary Institute of America and was a well-known philanthropist.

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