Baked Shrimp and Squash Casserole

Baked Shrimp and Squash Casserole; a Robert St. John recipe.

If you've spent anytime in Mississippi you know the name Robert St. John; he is "The Chef" in the state.  The thing I admire most is that he is completely self taught; the story of how St. John became a chef is incredible.

A waiter turned restauranteur, St. John opened a restaurant in Destin, FL and hired a hot-shot young chef to prepare haute cuisine.  St. John and the chef spent weeks testing and honing recipes for the restaurant.  Opening night was supposed to be a "soft opening" but word got out and the restaurant was packed.  With the pressure on, St. John goes to the kitchen to check on his chef; unable to find him he checks the alley behind the building and finds the chef passed out drunk with an empty whisky bottle in his hand.

Having no other choice, St. John put on an apron and headed to the kitchen.  He's been a chef ever since.  Using the recipes he learned from the chef and by a series of trial and errors, St. John honed his skills in the kitchen.

I have a ton of respect for the man.  He shows that anyone can be a great cook; you don't have to spend years in Culinary school; you just need to be willing to push yourself and not be afraid to make mistakes.