Louisiana's First Shrimp of The Season Presented to Chef Paul Prudhomme

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080516/DC22695 )

Louisiana shrimp, packaged in 5 pound blocks and wrapped in gold paper, were unloaded by armored guards from the OMNI BANK vault at 301 Chartres St. and placed into an OMNI BANK van. The van proceeded down Chartres Street, carrying the precious "Louisiana gold." Following behind the van was the second line parade led by the Treme Brass Band. More than 20 chefs from distinguishedNew Orleans restaurants, future chefs of New Orleans' Delgado Community College, dignitaries and seafood lovers danced down the street, waving their white handkerchiefs and shaking their umbrellas as they made their way to the Royal Sonesta Hotel on Bourbon Street.

Gold wrappedLouisiana shrimp and white rubber boots, which are often worn byLouisiana fishermen, lined the stage in front of the Royal Sonesta Hotel. Whole Foods Market presented each dignitary with a pair of boots and LSPMB Executive Director Ewell Smith presented the first shrimp of the season to Chef Paul Prudhomme, a famousNew Orleans chef and owner of K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen. Prudhomme accepted the shrimp on behalf of all of Louisiana's talented chefs, "One of the greatest thingsLouisiana has is its fresh seafood. There is nothing that tastes so wonderful as freshLouisiana shrimp."

Guests were presented with a Creole Tomato Bloody Mary garnished with aLouisiana shrimp to toast to the beginning of this wonderful shrimp season and the chefs ofLouisiana. "Louisiana seafood is a wonderful product to start with, but these chefs create dishes that have madeLouisiana seafood famous around the world," said Smith. "People travel toNew Orleans for authenticNew Orleans cuisine, which starts with the main ingredient,Louisiana seafood."

FedEx has been working with LSPMB since Hurricane Katrina in support ofLouisiana seafood andLouisiana fishermen. During the ceremony FedEx drivers loaded four FedEx packages, full of some of the firstLouisiana shrimp of the season, into their trucks to be delivered to President George W. Bush, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, Louisiana Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu andNew Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin.

Charles Napoli, president of the French Market Corporation announced the premiere of "A New Orleans Vieux To Do" on June 13-15 in the historic New Orleans French Market in the French Quarter. The festival will showcaseLouisiana seafood, Creole tomatoes and Cajun-Zydeco music.

ForLouisiana shrimp suppliers and recipes, visit www.LouisianaSeafood.com. For more information about "A New Orleans Vieux To Do," visit www.LouisianaSeafoodFestival.com.

CONTACT: Ashley Roth, 504-283-8292 or Ashley@LouisianaSeafood.com

Communications Manager

SOURCE Louisiana Seafood Board

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Copyright © 2008, NewsBlaze, Daily News

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