He has been may things in his life, however health problems caused Chef Hunter Lee to make major lifestyle changes at age 36. He said, “I always cooked. I had several catering companies in south Louisiana. A publisher a number of years ago wanted me to write a book but I was just too busy.”
Lee told the audience about his coming home from south Louisiana to Mansfield, his establishing his company and naming it for his father. “His nickname was Benwood,” said Lee, “So I adopted that to Benwood’s spices. The basic recipes for the seasonings came from my dad.”
First came a line of spices. Those are available locally in stores. Then after returning to Mansfield, Lee said the idea of writing cookbooks rekindled. He said, “I called the publisher, and they were still interested in seeing some of my work. I gathered up some things and sent it, and they offered me a cookbook deal.”
Lee described his first cookbook, Benwood’s Surely Southern Louisiana cookbook as recipes for dishes that you find on the southern table. Some good comfort foods. He said the second one, due in the near future would be mostly deserts and the like. There is a third cookbook planned in the future. And Chef Lee played his cards close to the vest, not evening teasing the audience as to its theme or contents.
