Meet Chef Bryan Krantz, Head Cook & Pot Washer, Louisiana Craft Butchers, and Our Newest Partner on Epicurean Exchange Culinary Travel’s New Orleans Food, Music & Culture Tour
Chef Bryan writes:
“’Self-Taught’ is a popular term of art when it comes to people without formal training in the culinary arts. My thought on learning how to cook and prepare food is, I have been taught by so many mentors, I can’t remember them all. Some have been formally trained by prestigious shrines of culinary acclaim like Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and Johnson & Wales. Some were just feeding their family. Some are renowned chefs headlining some of the finest restaurants in South Louisiana and some were college roommates feeding our Friday night gathering of friends. The truth is, when we stop learning we have eaten our last meal.
“Food culture in Louisiana is simple: we live to eat. We eat it all and go back for more. The history of where those flavors come from and how the people who passed the recipes down is what makes our area so special. Food brings us all together so we can share fellowship and talk about our life memories. We pass the flavors and stories on to the next generation. It’s a ritual as old as primeval fireside interaction. We are still cavemen talking about the hunt.
“I was the youngest of my group and was relegated to being babysat by the camp cook. Lucky me. I got to sample everything for doneness, seasoning, flavor and texture. I got to chop the vegetables, stir the roux, and wash the pots. We were cooking our parents and grandparents recipes. Every time we gathered and started organizing the meal, it was a seance of those we loved who had passed before. We payed homage to all the nostalgic memories from times past.
“My mother, Marie, took classes with Warren Leruth, one of New Orleans’ most iconic chefs and Roland Huet of Christian’s (A legacy restaurant of the Galatoire’s Family). She would pass on the processes and so many important elements which were lost on my desire to be somewhere other than the kitchen preparing a Sunday meal. Marie’s interest in cooking classes had more to do with wanting to be educated about the kitchen operation of Jefferson Downs then it did the Sunday home dinner. So year after year we reviewed menus, processes, concession equipment, and dining room structures. At the time it was a small part of what we did but it started to seep into my collective programing by osmosis.
“We lived in a third floor apartment behind the administrative offices of Jefferson Downs and night racing was too much of a distraction. My near failing sixth grade because I was learning how to handicap the horses as a twelve-year-old didn’t sit well. I was sent to boarding school at St. Paul’s School in Covington, LA. Our Publicity Director, Allen “Black Cat” LaCombe offered to send me the Daily Racing Form by currier but I think Marie had them intercepted. As I got older, I was blessed with friends who enjoyed cooking and ate well. Most had families with great food culture. Some of those families have spawned some of the mainstay restaurants on the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain.
“The old adage of, ‘The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,’ works the other way too. My wife couldn’t resist my rice, gravy, green beans and potato salad. She also was very impressed by my steak grilling ability. She showed me how to make Chicken and Dumplings with Crowder Peas. So we have been married thirty six years and raised two children who love to cook.
“Our company, Louisiana Craft Butchers, is a small specialty meat processing business who will lean heavily on local cultural food product demand for artisan quality meat and delicatessen items. Our menu will include traditional Louisiana fare like Boudin, Hogshead Cheese, Smoked Seasoning Meats, and Fresh and Smoked Sausages. Deli products like Corn Beef, Pastrami, Specialty Bolognas, Cold Cuts, Stuffed Chickens, and many other items will be part of our available offerings. We will produce most of the items on site and package them for sale in cooler and freezer cases. In addition to local service we anticipate selling products through our website and through other outlets.
“We will be very involved in the food culture of Louisiana through online classes, on-site classes and cooking demonstrations to promote our brand and products. Louisiana Craft Butchers are members of the American Association of Meat Processors.”
For more information about our upcoming New Orleans Food, Music & Culture Tour, visit: https://epexculinarytravel.com/new-orleans-2022/
