Cooking, Eating, and the Gulf Oil Spill: A Month of Interviews with Chefs and Foodies

The Gulf oil Spill has been a fixture in the news ever since the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig exploded back on April 20. Since then, the rig sank, the well leaked, was almost fixed, leaked some more, and made a mess unlike anything this world has ever seen. Ultimately, the oil spill earned superlatives like "the largest oil spill ever" and "largest environmental disaster ever," spilling millions of gallons of oil, and doing untold damage to the ecology and wildlife of the area, and to the people that live and earn their living in and around the Gulf.

Now that the leaking well has finally been capped, we can begin to assess not only the damage to the area's ecology and economy, but a sustainable way forward. One of the biggest impacts left in the wake of the spilling oil is that to the region's vibrant seafood and food culture; the Gulf is renowned for a hugely diverse array of food traditions and food culture. In order to get a sense for the impact of the spill on the culture, we're going to sources that work with the products every day: Chefs, food writers, and food thinkers.

We want to talk to them not only about their perception of the spill and its aftermath, but about how it is affecting their lives -- at home, and at work -- and how they think the region will recover. We're talking to some of the most well-renowned seafood chefs in the country -- chefs like Mario Batali and Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin -- and to some of the most well-respected writers and thinkers, like Ruth Reichl. They give us insight into the food world's reaction to the spill and what's actually happening in the region affected by the spill.

Throughout Blue August, we'll be publishing all of their responses in a series of interviews. Separately, they are a series of personal vignettes and stories about the Gulf, the oil spill, and what will become of the region and its food. Together, we think they'll create a tapestry of storytelling, insider information, and perspective you don't always get to see in the day-to-day news coverage of the event.

Get started with the series, so far, on our page dedicated to Cooking, Eating, and the Gulf Oil Spill, and watch this space for more interviews, and for a collection of the best moments from the series.