NEW ORLEANS – ‘Dook Chase: A Chef’s Journey,’ a new national cooking series from WYES-TV, follows Chef Edgar “Dook” Chase IV as he explores the people, places, traditions and flavors that “make New Orleans one of the greatest food cities in the world.”
Chef Edgar “Dook” Chase, the grandson of James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Leah Chase, and executive chef of Dooky Chase’s Restaurant, visits places and people at the heart of New Orleans cuisine. Then, back in the WYES kitchen, Chef Dook brings those experiences to life as he prepares his own take on iconic New Orleans dishes.
The 26-part series premieres on WYES-TV on July 18 at 10:00 a.m., with an encore airing Sundays at 11:00 a.m. Viewers throughout the WYES broadcast area can also stream the series on wyes.org, PBS.org and the PBS App. In addition to airing in the Greater New Orleans region and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the series will be broadcast on public television stations nationwide through distribution by American Public Television.
With an emphasis on how dishes and ingredients reflect the city’s history, Dook will connect with chefs who have elevated Creole, Cajun and West African cuisine to the forefront of fine dining in the city. Dook will also visit local Italian, Vietnamese, Indian and Latin American restaurants where chefs recreate the food from their homeland.
Dook Chase Series Destinations
Some of the destinations and friends Chef Dook meets along the way in ‘DOOK CHASE: A CHEF’S JOURNEY’ include:
- Angelo Brocato’s, Arthur Brocato
- Chapter IV, Chef Gavin Goins
- Commander’s Palace, Chef Meg Bickford and Ti Martin
- Cochon, Chef Donald Link
- Café Reconcile, CEO Kheri Billy and Chef Martha Wiggins
- Dakar NOLA, Chef Serigne Mbaye
- Dong Phuong Bakery, Lihn Garza
- Emeril’s, Chef E. J. Lagasse
- Lagniappe Bakehouse, Chef Kaitlin Guerin
- NOCHI (New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute), Chef Zoe Chase, GM Gerald Duhon, Chef Jacob Anguino/Chef Rebecca Klaskala
- Parkway Bakery and Tavern, Chef Justin Kennedy
- SaSron NOLA, Chef Arvinder Vilkhu
- Sweet Saint, Kenny Chauvin & Family
- Vaucresson Sausage and Creole Deli, Vance Vaucresson & Family, Chef Bunny Young
Cookbook and Family Stories
The series is also the inspiration for a new companion cookbook from Pelican Publishing, which features all of the recipes from the series and more than 125 color photos. Dishes include Whole Trout Cacciatore, Tortilla Soup, Pork Tamales, Sweet Potato Casserole, Vegetarian Banh Mi, Pulled Pork Benedict, Smothered Turkey Necks, Seafood Pot Pie, Crawfish Mac and Cheese, Stuffed Eggplant with Oysters, Soft Shell Crab on Crab Po-Boy, Bananas Foster Bread Pudding, Lemon Mint Sorbet and many more. The cookbook will be on sale soon at wyes.org.
In addition to local restaurant kitchens, Dook Chase’s journey also takes him to Madisonville where his grandmother grew up. During the visit he takes a look at his family’s tradition of preserving garden-fresh fruits and vegetables. In his kitchen the chef will create canning specialties that carry forward those time-honored techniques.
Chase family memories and cooking are at the heart of the series. Dook joins his mother Alva, Leah’s niece Cleo Robinson, and Chef Zoe Chase (Dook’s niece) in the kitchen to share recipes and stories from the restaurant in Treme founded in 1941 by Edgar “Dooky” Chase, Sr. and his wife Emily.
The series combines stories about local food traditions, family history and regional cuisine, offering a look at New Orleans food culture.
‘Dook Chase: A Chef’s Journey’ follows earlier WYES national cooking series ‘The Dooky Chase Kitchen: Leah’s Legacy (2023)’ and most recent ‘Louisiana Coastal Cooking (2025)’ plus four cooking series with chef Kevin Belton and several with Chef Paul Prudhomme.
The series is produced and directed by Terri Landry, who has led 18 national public television cooking series for WYES. Executive producer is Jim Moriarty. Associate producer is Dawn Smith. Video editor is Lenny Delbert Sr.
‘Dook Chase: A Chef’s Journey’ is made possible by national sponsors The Melvin S. Cohen Foundation, Inc., Zatarain’s, and Camellia Brand, and local sponsors Rouses Markets and the St. Tammany Parish Tourist & Convention Commission.
In celebration of the new series, WYES will host ‘Dook Chase: A Chef’s Journey’ Tasting and Launch Party on July 11 at 11:00 a.m. in the WYES Studios. The event will include highlights from the series, samples of dishes featured in the episodes, a live cooking demonstration with Chef Dook, and a discussion with Chef Dook and producer/director Terri Landry. Tickets are $45 and available at wyes.org/events.
