Chef Scott Landry hails from Lake Charles, deep in the heart of Cajun Country in Southwest Louisiana. When he's on stage, his accent flows as thick as gumbo roux and he tosses out one-liners as eaily as he tosses shrimp into his big black cooking pot. His audiences laugh, learn and -- after he's done -- get to eat the "show" -- a meal that could include crawfish, alligator, crab or other justly famous Louisiana delicacies.

Chef Landry has served his spicy Cajun fare to senators and congressmen, movie stars and music luminaries, royalty and presidents (as well as presidential hopefuls). He has shared stages or billing with such notable chefs as Paul Prudhomme, Martin Yan, John Folse and Chef Tell. When he discovered that people craved Cajun-style food and fun even on the Colorado slopes, Chef Landry founded the annual Breckinridge Crawfish Festival -- and its still going strong. He authored a cookbook and manufactures his own line of Cajun seasonings (the label on his Cajun Spice jar warns "use sparingly"). He is a popular guest on the nations talk shows and cooking shows, where his conversational flair matches his culinary showmanship. And his cooking has become a staple at the annual Washington Mardi Gras, a full-scale week-long bash that finds the "whos who" of the nations capital engaging in carefree Louisiana-style revelry.