NPR

Anthony Bourdain's Legacy Shines On In Cajun Country

Although he traveled the world over, the chef and TV host kept coming back to explore Cajun food culture in Louisiana in a thoughtful way. And he made life-changing impressions on some of its people.
Restaurant workers dole out chicken fricassee at the "Taste of EatLafayette" festival in the sprawling Cajundome arena in Lafayette, Louisiana. Locals say Bourdain captured the subtleties of their culture and cuisine, even if at times some thought he overemphasized alcohol.

The turkey wings at Laura's II in Lafayette, La., have been made using the same recipe for three generations. Madonna Broussard stuffs about 80 turkey wings with garlic and seasonings each afternoon, packs them into nine aluminum pans, then bakes the wings to give them a crispy bite that contrasts with the soft, gravy-soaked rice underneath.

On a recent afternoon she checked on the marinating turkey wings, passing by photos of Anthony Bourdain taped to her soda machine near the cash register.

In the days and weeks following the death by suicide of the TV host and chef, tributes have poured in from around the world. In South Louisiana, where Bourdain returned time and again, he is particularly mourned and beloved.

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