Vivian Howard, the Southern Chef You Should Know

Chef Vivian Howard never thought she’d return to Kinston, North Carolina. She left it for New York City, met her future husband Ben Knight there, and worked in some of Manhattan’s hottest kitchens. It was a perfect urban existence for an ambitious young chef.

But never say never. Today, Howard is back in Kinston, population 21,000. She and Knight, parents of toddlers (twins!), are building a house while they operate two restaurants and field many visits from her folks. Oh, and they had to rebuild one of the restaurants, which actually burned to the ground. If it sounds like a great recipe for a reality TV show, well, it is.

A Chef’s Life, Howard’s popular series on PBS, has documented all of the above. The Peabody Award-winning show is back for a second season on Sunday, October 5th, and if it’s anything like the first, it will be reality TV at its best and most unvarnished.

Howard is passionate about updating classic Southern dishes, celebrating the traditions and bounty of the region, and eating and cooking seasonally. Watch the trailer for A Chef’s Life season two, above, and check in with Yahoo Food for recipes and news from this new-generation Southern chef.