Chef Pierre Hilzim
Chef Pierre Hilzim, President of Kajun Kettle Foods, is a NOLA native who learned to cook at the tender age of ten from his father, the Executive Director of the Louisiana Restaurant Association. After spending several years running high-end restaurants in San Francisco and designing kitchens for award-winning chefs from Italy, Chef Pierre returned home in 1981 to found Kajun Kettle Foods.
Chef Pierre’s vision was to save local restaurants precious prep-time by providing them with high quality, ready-to-serve fresh pastas and sauces. The dishes were wildly popular and Kajun Kettle’s product line grew to include an array of savory sauces, soups, entrées, and side dishes.
Chef Pierre’s vision was to save local restaurants precious prep-time by providing them with high quality, ready-to-serve fresh pastas and sauces. The dishes were wildly popular and Kajun Kettle’s product line grew to include an array of savory sauces, soups, entrées, and side dishes.
Monica Davidson
The chef named his signature dish (Crawfish Monica®*) after his wife and partner, Monica Davidson, who joined Kajun Kettle shortly after its creation. She has a degree in linguistics from UC Berkeley and has lived in five countries; in addition to English, Monica speaks French, Spanish, and German. Her early career was as an executive with Macy’s, California. Monica now manages Kajun Kettle’s Personnel, Marketing and Public Relations Departments.
*Crawfish Monica® is one of the biggest, if not the biggest taste sensation at the annual New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. The dish consists of tender crawfish in delicious, spicy cream sauce over pasta, which pleases locals and visitors alike. They snap up tens of thousands of servings at each festival. At the 2012 fest, Kajun Kettle went through twenty tons of food to prepare Crawfish Monica®. The New Yorker, the L.A. Times, USA Today, the Times-Picayune, and the London Times, among other publications, have given the dish rave reviews.
*Crawfish Monica® is one of the biggest, if not the biggest taste sensation at the annual New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. The dish consists of tender crawfish in delicious, spicy cream sauce over pasta, which pleases locals and visitors alike. They snap up tens of thousands of servings at each festival. At the 2012 fest, Kajun Kettle went through twenty tons of food to prepare Crawfish Monica®. The New Yorker, the L.A. Times, USA Today, the Times-Picayune, and the London Times, among other publications, have given the dish rave reviews.
Our Mission
Kajun Kettle Foods, Inc. maintains an ongoing commitment to providing products and services which meet or exceed customer expectations at competitive prices. We utilize qualified, trained personnel, the latest equipment and technology, and adherence to strict procedures and practices to do so.
We believe in giving back to our communities via donations of time, goods, and services. We care for our customers and employees. In short, we strive for excellence in every aspect of our business, service, manufacturing, employment, and the betterment of our communities.
We believe in giving back to our communities via donations of time, goods, and services. We care for our customers and employees. In short, we strive for excellence in every aspect of our business, service, manufacturing, employment, and the betterment of our communities.
Kajun Kettle in the Community
Our local community and national organizations have given Kajun Kettle much support over the years. As a company we are committed to giving back. Among others, we support the following organizations:
- NOAAHH (New Orleans Artists Against Hunger & Homelessness): Chef Pierre is president.
- LASPCA (The Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)
- Each One Save One (A Mentoring Program)
- Audubon Institute
- STAIR (Start the Adventure in Reading)
- LRA (The Louisiana Restaurant Association)
- The Beautiful Foundation (For At-Risk Young Women)
- Chef Relief (Post Disaster Feeding Organization Run by Chefs)
- American Red Cross