Vivian Howard is one of the most unlikely TV stars in recent memory. She came back home to Kinston, North Carolina, after burning out in the restaurant world of New York.
Howard and her husband started their own little place in Kinston and then PBS found them. The resulting show, “A Chef’s Life,” was a huge hit that gave viewers a long look at a world that was distinctly Southern but never stereotypical.
But Howard has decided that “A Chef’s Life” should come to an end. She’s got a new show and a new cookbook in the works. And when we talked, she was dealing with the flooding in her part of the world from Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Michael. It's a hectic life.
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Show notes:
- The final episode of "A Chef's Life"
- Her "Country As Cornbread" T-shirts for flood relief (note: on sale only through Oct. 31)
- Vivian's website
- Her Instagram feed, which is thoroughly entertaining (especially her Instagram stories)
Other music in this episode:
- Lee Rosevere, "Vivian's Theme"
- Satellite 7, "Street Food"
New episodes of SouthBound will come out every other week on Wednesday. Subscribe:
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SouthBound is a production of WFAE. Our host is Tommy Tomlinson. Our producer is Nick de la Canal. Our audience engagement producer is Joni Deutsch, and our main theme comes from Josh Turner.