New Orleans chefs send meals to New Bern flood victims

NEW BERN — Hurricane Florence flood victims will soon get a taste of the Big Easy after dozens of New Orleans chefs got to work Wednesday to prepare over 5,000 pounds of classic Cajun dishes.

On Sunday, private jets flown by volunteer pilots flew into New Bern and Myrtle Beach to deliver vacuumed sealed dishes like grillades and grits, fried turkey, chicken and andouille gumbo, butter beans and shrimp and even bread pudding.

Amy Sings, chef and owner of the restaurant Langlois in New Orleans, said she was the mastermind behind the disaster relief operation.

Sings, whose home was flooded during Hurricane Katrina, said since experiencing a natural disaster first-hand, she now tries to do everything she can to help aide victims.

"Over the past few years I’ve spearheaded quite a few disaster relief efforts that tend to take on a mind of their own and grow," Sings said. "It was tough to be a person on the receiving end during Hurricane Katrina. You realize how important it is because people need the help.

"I want to keep paying it forward," she continued. "I hope everyone is inspired as a result."

The New Orleans non-profit Second Harvest Kitchen was the one to open up its industrial kitchen, where the local chefs created their flavor-filled concoctions Wednesday. 

Sins said the meal prep day was organized chaos at its best.

"Despite the amount of bodies, knives and fires, it was like a perfectly orchestrated ballet," Sins said with a laugh. 

Around lunchtime Sunday, North Carolina chefs will pick up the meals from the airports, where they will then head out and distribute them throughout Newport, Morehead City and New Bern.

Sins said she couldn't be more thrilled knowing the New Orleans meals will be serves to the victims by dinnertime.

"I love giving back," Sins said. "It's ingrained in my soul. What an incredible couple of days."