The New Orleans Cookbook

As a native of Louisiana no longer living in the Bayou State, I often have an "envie" (that's cajun dialect for "yearning") for the food I grew up with. I got my first copy of this book in 1975 and have cooked with it ever since. It is particularly strong on the classic New Orleans recipes--oysters rockefeller, trout veronique, Bananas Foster--but also covers some basic stuff like how to make a good Bechamel sauce, hollandaise. It is also quite good at Cajun cooking. Most people outside of Louisiana think you can make anything "Cajun" by dousing it with Tabasco--not so. It's a far subtler cuisine than that, generally no spicier than Szechuan and certainly less spicy than Thai. The recipes for Chicken & Sausage Gumbo, Chicken Macquechoux, and similar stuff have been used so often the pages are sticky with spatterings of oil and roux. I prefer this GREATLY to Paul Prudhomme's book. (I have both and rarely use Paul's.) If you are interested in a strictly Cajun cookbook and not in something which has New Orleans cuisine, I might recommend Justin Wilson's Homegrown Louisiana Cooking. Still, The New Orleans Cookbook is by far my most-used Louisiana cookbook, and one of the most used cookbooks in my kitchen

Excellent cookbook. The authors were the "Underground Gourmet" , annonymous food critics for the "Times Picayune" paper in New Orleans through the 60's and 70's. They were closely acquainted with every local restaurant and owner from the finest to the small and little known local haunts and worked on this book, experimenting at home for 12 years. It is EXCELLENT. The recipes are simple and very typically local. I haven't cooked anything from it that is a miss. I cook a lot and I always make changes (drop salt, substitute chicken or vegetable broth for water (plenty salty by the time it reduces!), and double and triple up on the spice to nearly everything I cook, and I normally work from multiple recipes), but even cooking straight from the recipes here you won't miss. They are all well tested, not unnecessarily complex, and trial by trail, I've found that the recipes here are more consistently a hit a higher percentage of times than most any cookbook I've ever tried. The sauce picaunte recipe (otherwise known as Shrimp Creole) is an old recipe from the 1800's and is great. There's a good rich etouffee recipe. There are a number of good gumbos...Mix them and add the ingredients you like! The braised pears on icecream dessert is easy to prep, quick to prepare after dinner and will WOW your guests (You can substitute Le Courvoissier.)

My mother had the original version of this she received as a wedding gift. 50 years later, it still is a great book! Filled with recipes and a brief story of the categories of dish, this is a must have for any fan of Cajun cooking. From Appetizers, to snacks, entrees, to desserts... this is a GREAT south Louisiana/Cajun cookbook! (Thanks Amazon for helping me replace a priceless book with a gently used version!)

Have tried some of the classic recipes such as the red beans and rice, jambalaya, seafood gumbo, and bread pudding. They turned out to be truly authentic as I've tried these dishes while I was in NOLA in the French Quarter restaurants. You can't go wrong with any of these recipes. They were hits with friends and family. I researched many cookbooks and this lived up to me finding recipes that would be true to the classic Cajun and Creole dishes I have enjoyed while in NOLA. This book also suggests substitutions and definitions for Cajun/Creole foods, spices, cooking methods, and utensils used. Very informative! This book even includes recipes for famous alcoholic drinks and coffees. I would consider this a must-have cookbook for making Cajun/Creole dishes.

I purchased the paperback version of this book and I don't like how difficult it is to use. The commentaries, while informational, are not very well-written. However, the recipes are well-written, concise, and easy to understand. As a cookbook there are a number of traditional and popular recipes. Included are variations for some of these recipes. Another thing I didn't like, was that the information is scattered throughout the book. While it was fairly easy to find, it was hardship to keep flipping between pages, because of the way the book is bound. While the aesthetics of the book present awkwardness, the recipes are excellently written. The recipes in the chicken chapter look killer and I can't wait to try the Chicken Fricassee and the Chicken Pontalba.The Dirty Rice recipe is delicious. I love how the recipes are organized. I am a passionate cook. Overall this cookbook is one that I would recommend. However, I think if I ever purchase this as a gift, I will invest in a hardbound edition. Perhaps it won't be so awkward to use.

Naturally N'awlins this is it. I'm a native and discovered this book while working in the public library in Ohio over 30 years ago. It is the only cookbook that I've experienced that came close to the way my Mom cooked. It has been in my library ever sense. I've always kept extra copies to give out as presents or when someone asks for a recommendation. I've tried just about every recipe in the book and they are authentically table worthy of a New Orleans home. Highly recommended

This was gifted to my sister in law. She likes the ease and tradition of the recipes.

This book is an absolute MUST HAVE if you want to learn how to cook New Orleans food correctly and authentically. There is the original 1975 edition which is great, but the 1987 version (in paperback) is updated and even better yet.

It has all the major southern recipes. I am very satisfied .

Wer schon einmal in New Orleans war und die Küche dort getestet hat wird dieses Kochbuch lieben. Aber Vorsicht das Buch ist auf Englisch, was mich allerdings nicht gestört hat.

Look very good

Bel libro, non molte foto, ma le ricette sono molto gustose.

Christmas gift for my son. He loves it lots of recipes to choose from.