John Besh Launches A Monthly Subscription Gourmet Kit

I've always been in awe of John Besh, the New Orleans chef who has nine restaurants, four children (all boys) and yet somehow finds the time to write cookbooks (like his brand new Cooking From The Heart), run charity events, travel around the country and more. Just when it seemed like the guy couldn't be any busier or more impressive, a package arrives in the mail with my name on it.

It's a Besh Box.

Now, there are a fair amount of monthly subscription boxes out there, offering everything from grooming products to random food items to, um, sex toys. John Besh didn't want to merely join the fray; with Besh Box, he's aiming to change the game.

"I'm no longer trying to get the great review," Besh says, referring to opening restaurants and hoping critics want to spread the word. "I'm just trying to pass on my soul through food."

What this means is that for a monthly subscription plan — starting with a $55 holiday box, available starting today at beshbox.com — home cooks will receive a box with items hand-picked by Besh himself, as well as recipe cards, all with a heightened design sensibility.

The box I opened contains a starter kit for making a killer-sounding apple and pear walnut tart, including recipe cards for the dough, the tart and hot spiced wine. The products include a big bag of pecans (from Louisiana-based Inglewood; I knew Besh would rep for his home state), vanilla beans, a pastry cutter, a dough scraper, a cook's towel, GMO-free jalapeño seeds and a fleur de lys tree ornament (another nod to his roots).

It's all high-quality and obviously well-thought-out. But then anyone who's eaten at one of Besh's restaurants or cooked out of his cookbooks knows that this is a guy who doesn't mess around and who considers every detail. There aren't many chefs I'd invite into my home every m0nth — I prize my liquor collection to much, for one thing — but John Besh is welcome anytime.

Besh Box subscriptions are available for $55 monthly, and in 3-month ($160), 6-month ($330) and 12-month ($660) plans, all via Beshbox.com.