McIlhenny Paul - The Tabasco Cookbook: Recipes with Americas Favorite Pepper Sauce

Growing up, as I did, on the bayou in Louisiana one never expended much energy pondering such things as a favorite pepper sauce or football team. No, certain things such as these were just a given. As much as we knew who wed cheer for on Sundays in the fall, we were born with a sense of what hot sauce belonged in the red beans, po boys, gumbo, jambalaya, eggs, grits, Bloody Marys, or, for that matter, on our tables and in our pantries. As much as we love our state we were equally proud of our brand of pepper sauceTabascowhich had been our cultures ambassador to every corner of the globe. We were proud of our Avery Island, where Tabasco has hailed from since 1868, as well as of the McIlhenny family, who brought us the little red bottle full of great big flavor.

Long before I had ever met a McIlhenny, we spent many family picnics on the beautifully manicured grounds and in the lush tropical gardens of the Island, which is just a stones throw from New Iberia, Louisiana. As soon as I would cross the little bridge onto Avery Island, tears would form as Id take a big whiff of the salty air perfumed by the fermented peppers that gave an obvious nod to the main function of the land. For decades now Ive known the family that calls Avery Island home, in particular its former patriarch, Mr. Paul McIlhenny, who was a larger-than-life husband, father, businessman, friend, hunter, and conservationist who also happened to produce the finest pepper sauce in the world. He was passionate about all things Tabasco and believed in the brand so much that he decided to expand it with additional sauces, foods, and products to share with the world, creating a Tabasco lifestyleone thats built on good times with family and friends and, of course, big bold Louisiana flavors.

Aside from being the iconic businessman that he was, Paul worked tirelessly to shape his world into a better one by using his brand and resources to make positive changes in the environment, especially in our coastal wetlands. He encouraged me and others to not only join in his efforts, but also to decide what legacy wed leave for future generations to enjoyand to pursue those efforts with vigor and enthusiasm.

Along with the Tabasco line of products that brought Louisiana to the world, Paul used his gift of Cajun comedy, deep laughter, and joie de vivre to connect with people everywhere. Ive come now to learn from my late great friend that a keen sense of stewardship and a great sense of humor can in fact make the world a better and tastier place. Today, as I cross the bridge onto Avery Island, my eyes still tear, though not because of fermented peppers, but for the remarkable legacy that Paul McIlhenny left us. A smile forms on the edge of my lips every time I unscrew the cap of my favorite pepper sauce, knowing that he lives with us at our table, making great food taste just a little bit better.

John Besh

In February 2013, the business and culinary world lost Paul McIlhenny, former president and then chairman and CEO of McIlhenny Company. A gourmet and bon vivant, Paul, who was my second cousin once removed, excelled in his free time as a wild game and fish cook. He counted among his friends such food-world luminaries as Emeril Lagasse, Jacques Ppin, Ella Brennan, Paul Prudhomme, and R. W. Apple, Jr. In 2010, the James Beard Foundation inducted him into its Whos Who of Food & Beverage in America.

Back in 1993, however, Paul teamed up with McIlhenny Companys longtime public relations manager Barbara Hunter to compile the first edition of The Tabasco Cookbook: 125 Years of Americas Favorite Pepper Sauce. Although twenty years have passed since then, The Tabasco Cookbook