Louisiana

Chef John D. Folse, CEC, AAC
Chef John Folse was born in St. James Parish in 1946. He learned early that the secrets of Cajun cooking lay in the unique ingredients of Louisiana’s swamp floor pantry. Folse seasoned these raw ingredients with his passion for Louisiana culture and cuisine, and from his cast iron pots emerged Chef John Folse & Company.Folse opened Lafitte’s Landing Restaurant in 1978 in Donaldsonville. He set out to market his restaurant by taking "A Taste of Louisiana" worldwide. He introduced Louisiana’s indigenous cuisine to Japan in 1985, Beijing in 1986, and Hong Kong and Paris in 1987. In 1988, Folse made international headlines with the opening of "Lafitte’s Landing East" in Moscow during the Presidential Summit between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. In 1989, Folse created the first Vatican State Dinner in Rome. Promotional restaurants were also opened in London in 1991 and 1993, Bogota in 1991, Taipei in 1992 and 1994, and Seoul in 1994. In 1988, Folse was named "Louisiana’s Marketing Ambassador to the World" by the Louisiana Sales and Marketing Executives and "Louisiana’s Culinary Ambassador to the World" by the Louisiana Legislature.The international success of Lafitte’s Landing Restaurant spawned the incorporation of several other Chef John Folse & Company properties. He established his catering division at White Oak Plantation in 1986. Chef John Folse & Company Publishing has produced six Cajun and Creole cookbooks since 1989. Folse’s cooking series, "A Taste of Louisiana with Chef John Folse & Co.," has been produced by Louisiana Public Broadcasting since 1990 and airs throughout America on PBS and is also syndicated internationally. Since 1991, Chef John Folse & Company Manufacturing has been producing custom manufactured foods for the retail and food service industry. It is one of the few chef-owned food manufacturing companies in America. The Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, La. opened in October 1994. It is dedicated to the preservation of Louisiana’s rich culinary and cultural heritage. In August 1996 Folse began broadcasting his radio cooking talk show, Stirrin’ It Up…The Best Tasting Show on Talk Radio. Exceptional Endings, the pastry division, was launched in 1996 to create specialty desserts, pastries and savories. In October of 1998, a fire destroyed the 200-year-old Viala Plantation, which housed Lafitte’s Landing Restaurant. In spring 1999 Folse opened his former Donaldsonville home as Lafitte’s Landing Restaurant at Bittersweet Plantation, offering fine dining and bed and breakfast accommodations.Folse has received numerous national and international accolades. In 1987 the Louisiana Restaurant Association named him "Louisiana Restaurateur of the Year". In 1989 Lafitte’s Landing Restaurant was inducted into Nation’s Restaurant News’ "Fine Dining Hall of Fame." In 1990 the American Culinary Federation named Folse the "National Chef of the Year". Folse has been recognized with honorary Doctor of Culinary Arts degrees from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island and the Baltimore International Culinary College. In 1994 he assumed the role of National President of the American Culinary Federation, the largest organization of professional chefs in America. In 1995 Folse was one of 50 people recognized in Nation’s Restaurant News’ "Profiles of Power." In 1996 Lafitte’s Landing Restaurant received the Award of Excellence from Distinguished Restaurants of North America (DNRA). Folse serves as DNRA Vice Chairman and will serve as Chairman in 2000. In 1998 Chef John Folse & Company Manufacturing received TGI Friday’s Inc. Procurement Product Development Award for assisting in the development of Friday’s Jack Daniels® Glaze. In 1998 Food Arts Magazine awarded Folse the Silver Spoon Award for his sterling performance and contributions to the food service industry.Twenty years of culinary excellence later, Folse is still adding ingredients to the corporate gumbo he calls Chef John Folse & Company, which is as diverse as the Louisiana landscape, and he would not want it any other way.


Alabama

Leslie Bailey
Leslie’s cooking style demands for the experience to be simple, delicious, and above all fun. She explains cooking techniques in understandable terms with splashes of humor which encourages viewers to prepare featured recipes for themselves, a rarity in cooking television. She is the cooking host for the everyday cook, surviving in today’s world.Bailey owns Silver Spoon Caterers and the restaurant Silver Spoon a la Carte, both in Montgomery, Alabama. She also hosts a weekly segment entitled What’s Cooking with Leslie? on the local NBC affiliate’s 5:00 PM newscast. She has also hosted two Alabama Public Television cooking marathons, Desserts Southern Style and Casseroles Southern Style, and has been a Montgomery, Alabama radio personality for more than 21 years.In 1994, Bailey received a Special Achievement Award from the US Small Business Administration, and in 1993 received an Emerging Award from the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce. That same year, she was named National Small Business of the Year.Bailey also serves on the boards of Montgomery AIDS Outreach, the Janis Capilouto Center for the Deaf, the Alabama Restaurant Association, the Montgomery YMCA, and FAME, the support organization for Booker T. Washington Magnet School for the Performing Arts Board Member. Her numerous community theatre performances include Godspell, Carousel, Showboat and Man of LaMancha.


Arkansas

Don Bingham
Chef Bingham is certified with the American Culinary Federation and, as Chairman of the Board for the Central Arkansas Chapter of the American Culinary Federation, Chef Bingham is active in training and education in the culinary arts. A former Arkansas Chef of the Year, Chef Bingham hosts The ABC’s of Cooking on PBS affiliate AETN, channel 2, in Little Rock. He can currently be seen each Wednesday afternoon at 1:00 CST on WB-affiliate KKYK channel 22’s Arkansas View with hosts Tracy Douglas and Sheryl Lackey.Don was recently featured on a National, five state cooking show, A Taste of the South including Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Georgia. Along with his wife Nancy, Chef Bingham is the co-author of two cookbooks, Celebrate with Cooking and Celebrate the Holiday. He has also produced a cooking video Holiday Cooking with Don Bingham.Chef Bingham is a conference speaker and entertainer. He was the keynote speaker for the National Association of Church Food Services and presents seminars and demonstrations for churches, civic groups and political functions. Chef Bingham is the Governor’s Mansion Administrator for the Mansion in Little Rock where he serves as host, event planner and executor of the day-to-day operations of the Governor’s Mansion. He and wife Nancy are the parents of five children and reside in Conway, Arkansas.


Mississippi

Stanley Graham
A Mississippi native and high school football all-star, Stanley Graham attended undergraduate school at Millsaps College in Jackson and graduate school at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. While he is the Scenic and Lighting designer at Mississippi Educational Television, he is the author of two cookbooks and has also been the host of What’s Cooking on ETV’s magazine series, Southern Expressions. In addition, he has served as judge of many cooking competitions and for the past few years hosted several live cooking programs such as Just Desserts, Pot Luck, Homecoming and other staged for Mississippi ETV’s membership drives. Stanley will be joining us again this year as the Mississippi host for the Gridiron Gourmet Classic.



Georgia

Charles Renaud
Charles Renaud’s love of outdoor cooking started when he was a child growing up in the middle Georgia hamlet of Gordon. His father and uncles would host pig-roasting gatherings that would attract nearly the whole community. During those nights Charles began to realize that the camaraderie of the folks gathered around the fire was as important as the food.Charles never forgot the fellowship of those evenings. After graduating from Valdosta State University, he went into business with his father manufacturing and selling his own grill systems.In 1993 Charles decided to share his expertise with television audiences in Georgia. Sure, there were plenty of food shows on the air, but none that did everything he wanted to do. Now in national syndication, Outdoor Cooking with Charles Renaud concentrates not only on the preparation of food, but the people places, and events that make it so special.Charles has appeared as a regular cooking talent on Georgia Public Television and has also appeared on ESPN Outdoors and The Outdoor Life Network.

Louisiana

Jim Taylor
A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Jim Taylor led the SEC in scoring in 1957 and 58 during his two years at LSU. Drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 1958, he starred as a running back for the Packers through 1966, earning Pro Bowl recognition five times. He played his final season with the New Orleans Saints in 1967 during the expansion teams first. Taylor’s biggest year was 1962 when he scored 19 touchdowns and was named the Associated Press Player of the Year and the winner of Jim Thorpe Award. Jim played on four NFL championship teams at Green Bay including the winning team in Super Bowl I.He was elected to the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1976.


Arkansas

Isaac Davis
Isaac Davis is a native of Malvern, Arkansas. He is the son of John and Theresa Davis. He attended Malvern High School. Isaac played offensive guard for the Arkansas Razorbacks football team from 1990—1993. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers into the NFL in 1994. He stayed with the Chargers from 1994-1997. During the 1998 season, he spent time with the New Orleans Saints and the Minnesota Vikings. This will be his first season with the Oakland Raiders.In addition to football, Isaac is actively involved in civic activities. While at San Diego, he was a part of Athletes for Education Program. In this program, NFL players serve as mentors to high school students. Isaac has also endowed a scholarship given each year to a senior of Malvern High School. He is also active in the Books and Balls Football camp held annually for underprivileged children in Arkansas and California. In addition, he and his wife Stephanie have started the Block Against Hunger Foundation, which sponsors a canned food drive. Winners of the drive get tickets to NFL games and the food is donated to charity.He and his wife have two children Stephen (age 7) and Cameron (age 2).

Houston Nutt
Houston Nutt has been the Head Coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks since 1998. He was the head coach at Murray State from 1993 until 1996 where his last two teams were 11-1 and 11-2. He won the 1995 and 1996 Ohio Valley Conference championships. He was the head coach for Boise State for 1997. Houston lettered in football for the Razorbacks and played in the 1978 Orange Bowl. As an assistant coach he has been to the 1982 Independence Bowl, the 1984 Gator Bowl, the 1987 Sun Bowl, the 1988 Holiday Bowl, and the 1991 Independence Bowl. As Arkansas’ head coach he took the Razorbacks to the 1998 Citrus Bowl. Houston and his wife Diana have four children, Houston III, Hailey, Hanna and Haven. He was born October 14, 1957 into a sporting family. His brother Danny has been running backs coach on his staff for five years. Brother Dickey is head basketball coach at Arkansas State and brother Dennis is assistant basketball coach at Arkansas State.


Mississippi

Arthur “Skip” Jernigan
Skip attended Jackson public schools where he was a Pepsi High School All-American. He attended the University of Mississippi on a football scholarship from 1968—1970 (the Archie Manning years). Skip started in 33 consecutive games for Ole Miss and was All-SEC for three years. His college career culminated in starting in the Hula Bowl All-Star game in 1971. Skip is currently a practicing attorney in Jackson and serves on numerous boards for civic organizations in the community.


Georgia

Jeff Van Note
Jeff Van Note is an 18-year NFL veteran with the Atlanta Falcons and six-time Pro-Bowler, not to mention being selected to be on the All-Time Madden Team. ‘The Noter’ continues to live and breathe football as the radio voice for the NFL Atlanta Falcons, his alma mater The University of Kentucky Wildcats, and the SEC Championship Football Game. In 1997, he was color analyst for 3 major radio networks covering five NCAA Bowl games, not to mention hosting a national radio show every Monday night for two hours leading into Monday Night Football–Countdown To Kickoff.After a pro football career that spanned 246 games over three decades–the 11th longest playing career in NFL history and the second longest with one team–Jeff gravitated into radio with WSB / WCNN in Atlanta.Over the past decade, Jeff has been recognized by many as the most knowledgeable, hardest-working former jock in the business. As former co-host of Sports Talk, a three hour drive-time sports call-in program aired on WSB, Jeff shared his expertise daily with Atlanta area listeners. Respected by his peers both on the field and in the broadcast booth, the man who parlayed an 11th-round draft choice as linebacker into an 18-year career as a six-time All-Pro center, Jeff Van Note also serves as a trustee on the National Football League retirement board.

Sample Recipe:
Undefeated Red Beans, Rice & Sausage Casserole

Undefeated Red Beans, Rice & Sausage Casserole is just a sampling of what you’ll get when order the Five Star Gridiron Gourmet Classic Cookbook and support local public television. This dish has become a tailgating favorite. Similar to jambalaya—which everybody loves— it will surely feed the crowd. Any type of meat, game or seafood may be substituted in the recipe. It’s a great “clean-out-the-freezer” dish.



The 5 Star Gridiron Gourmet Classic Cookbook

You can’t have a cooking show without a cookbook and we have a great one for this show. Viewers from Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi have done their part by sending in 500 great tailgating recipes so this cookbook could be used as a thank-you gift.

Now it’s time for you to come off the bench and join the team by calling in your pledge to support public broadcasting in your state. Our teams from Alabama Public Broadcasting, The Arkansas Educational Television Network, Georgia Public Television, Louisiana Public Broadcasting and Mississippi Educational Television have really worked hard to provide great programming for you and your family and this is your chance to say thanks by calling in your pledge. Besides, all five states are competing to see who can get the most pledges and give away the most cookbooks as thank-you gifts and you don’t want your team to lag behind.

The pregame ceremonies are over. It’s time for you to get in the game and call in your support now. Click on your state to find out how you can get this cookbook.

The Five Star Network is a partnership among five statewide public educational television networks in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi. An initial grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting Future Fund has helped the partnership find ways to increase revenues and cut costs through collaboration.

Current initiatives include the collaborative pledge production A Five Star Holiday Taste of the South cooking show, regional underwriting sales, joint purchasing agreements, and a regional educational grant proposal. Previous productions have included the extremely successful pledge cooking programs the Five Star Gridiron Gourmet Classic and Five Star Taste of the South.

Alabama	Arkansas	Georgia	Louisiana	Mississippi