Beloved New Orleans chef and restaurateur Paul Prudhomme has died. WWL reports that the world famous cook, who was instrumental in bringing cajun and Creole cuisine to people outside of Louisiana and around the world, passed away after a brief illness. He was 75.

Prudhomme and his late wife Kay Hinrichs Prudhomme opened their famed restaurant K-Pauls in New Orleans’ French Quarter in 1979, four years after he became executive chef at Commanders Palace. Prudhomme is credited with heightening international interest in Louisiana cuisine, popularizing blackened redfish and indtroducing the poultry portmanteau turducken, among other things.

Prudhomme wrote nine different cookbooks and hosted numerous cooking shows over the course of his career. He also launched a popular brand of herbs and spices known as his Magic Seasoning Blends.