5 comments about Cooking With Cajun Women: Recipes and Remembrances From South Louisiana Kitchens.

1. Nicole Denee Fontenot spent two years interviewing Cajun women who grew up in the first half of the 20th century, and presents her research in Cooking With Cajun Women, a simply terrific blend of cookbook and anecdotes of older times when all food was homemade. Memories appear as highlighted sidebars to accompany dishes such as Fig Jam and Berry and Seafood Gumbo Cajun-Style.



2. I am from southwest Louisiana and this is one of the best Cajun cookbooks I have ever bought! Most of the recipes are what my family has always prepared and still serve now. I recommend this book to everyone in Cajun country and to all of you that want to cook Cajun. A great gift for anyone that loves to cook. Ms. Fontenot has done an excellent job!



3. Coming from South Louisiana (Cajun Country) I had high hopes from the title of this cookbook. However, after reading some of the recipes, I am astonished at astounding quantity of canned creamed soups called for in so many of them. Real Cajun cooks must be laughing themselves silly. Cajun cooking does not begin with CANNED SOUP! Get yourself a real Cajun cookbook. This is not it! Read it for the "remembrances," but certainly not the recipes. Apparently the Fontenot clan hasn't a clue about Cajun cooking.



4. Cooking with Cajun Women exemplifies the current cultural traditions as they are today, using the recipes of older Cajun women all over South Louisiana not from one family unit. The book is a reflection of reality that includes recipes of times past with those of the present, because people today blend modernity with cultural traditions. Cajun culture has thrived because of its adaptability not in spite of it. The older ladies submitted these recipes and they represent what they are cooking today. People are more practical today and not everything is slow cooked, thus to deny it and act as if everything is made the old-fashioned way is dishonest. The book is a perfect blend of history and reality. The people of South Louisiana love the treasure filled book and to those who have left the area and lost touch with the people of Louisiana, you have spoken out of turn and out of context. You missed the message entirely.



5. This is a GREAT thing for young couples especially b/c it's REAL authentic recipes from actual ppl down here. I say it's great for young ppl b/c they're so used to their mama's cooking & when they move out or get married, most of them don't have a clue how to cook this stuff (I know I didn't!). Another thing I love is: it may have 2 or 3 recipes for something, from 2 or 3 different women. Also, I love reading the short stories on the recipe pages of the way things were way back when. The author did a wonderful job & conquered a "real" cajun cookbook. I wish I could give it 10 stars!

4 comments about Tell Me More: A Cookbook Spiced With Cajun Tradition and Food Memories.

1. This book can't really stand on its own, but is a good supplement to Talk About Good I and II. The artwork is great the stories by Sonnier are delightfully nostalgic. I found the text, however, to be unorganized and the recipes seemed to be reminiscent of ones that could be found on the back of a Campbell's Soup can. As a transplanted Cajun living away from Louisiana, I always refer to T.A.G. I and II and use them religiously and only refer to Tell Me More if I want a variation on a recipe that I already know.



2. First: the positive-
   The drawings in this book are wonderful. They are very true to life (at least for the part of Louisiana my husband comes from.)
   The stories are the reason I bought this book. There is a lot of information regarding the culture and traditions of the Acadians and the lifestyle of Southern LA. The recipes are good.

   Second: the needs work part-
   These recipes were gathered together from a group of people. Because of this, many of the recipes are not typically cajun recipes. For example, there are many pasta recipes which have nothing to do with Cajun cooking. If you are looking for a cookbook with traditional Louisiana cooking try Talk about Good.

   However, if you collect cookbooks and want to add an interesting cookbook to your collection, this is the one. Just realize that you will find many recipes in this book that are already in other cookbooks. If you are interested in reading about Louisiana and want some traditional recipes, this is a good book to get. Just realize that there will many non-Louisiana recipes included in this book.




3. I love this book for it's easy, delicious recipes and wonderful stories about life in Southern Louisiana. Many of these recipes have become family favorites at our house. The recipes use fewer ingredients and most recipes are quick and easy for those of us without a lot of time.



4. This book contains wonderful stories as well as recipes from those cajun ladies in south Louisiana. The recipes are usually quick and easy to make, your company will think you spent the entire day in the kitchen. I have found many of these recipes are great for entertaining either large or small groups. Some of my favorite recipes are Crawfish Fettuchine, Aunt Doodie's Chocolat Cake and Cherrie Bounce. If you have tried the other two Jr. League of Lafayette cookbooks you will truely fine this book continues the tradition of fine southern Louisiana cooking.

2 comments about Court of Two Sisters Cookbook, The.

1. This makes a great souvenir for those who have had the great fortune to dine at The Court of Two Sisters. Almost half of the book is history of the restaurant and the area, and the rest is devoted to house recipes-the bread pudding is out of this world! I just wish they had included more recipes. It also has several pictures of the restaurant.



2. The history was very inviting to read. I plan to revisit this section before another visit to New Orleans. The number of recipes was disappointing but did have several of the restaurants staples in it.

4 comments about Louisiana Seafood Bible, The: Shrimp.

1. All my life, my parents would test new recipes on the family in addition to creating seafood masterpieces passed down from my Maw Maw to my mother. I have stolen many of these recipes and claimed them as my own. My friends are always impressed with my culinary skills. They don't know that I just took what was given to me as a child. I highly recommend the Shrimp Manicotti recipe. I have cooked this for people who don't consider themselves seafood lovers and have won them over. In the past I would not share my recipes with friends. I thought I was only as good as the recipe. Now with this book, I can no longer keep them a secret. I know you won't be disappointed. I also encourage to you to keep an eye out for future editions of this book. Shrimp is only the beginning.
   
   Happy Eating!
   
   Lisa Horst



2. One of the most popular and edible products of the sea, there are more than two thousands of species of shrimp. Indeed, fishing for shrimp has served as a significant commercial industry in Louisiana from the 1870s down to the present day. Louisiana chefs and kitchen cooks have been experts in shrimp-based cuisine and now the husband and wife team of Jerald and Glenda Horst have compiled 77 mouth-watering recipes showcasing shrimp in molds, casseroles, gumbos, salads and more. Of special note is that "The Louisiana Seafood Bible: Shrimp" is divided into two major sections. The first are a series of chapters about shrimp including its history, commercial fishing, sizes, buying shrimp, canning shrimp at home, storing fresh shrimp, and more. The second section is devoted to the recipes themselves complete with ingredient lists and preparation instructions. Each recipe is guaranteed to be 'kitchen cook friendly', please any palate, and satisfy any appetite. Beautifully illustrated throughout, the recipes range from Shrimp and Mango Spinach Salad; Shrimp Fontenot; and Shrimp Louisiane Casserole; to Jacked Shrimp; Aloha's Barbecued Shrimp; and Gingered Shrimp with Pea Pods. A superbly presented compendium of shrimp oriented information and recipes, "The Louisiana Seafood Bible: Shrimp" is enthusiastically recommended for family and community library specialty cookbook collections.



3. The information is fantastic. It answered all the questions I have had over shrimp in Louisiana as to what happens when and in what order. It also showed how to identify all the different species easily. I enjoyed the recipes in one place, the only one I missed is corn and shrimp soup
   or chowder.



4. Very good book about everything Shrimp from the begining of how they are raised, the process to bring them to market and finally recipes that end their lives being consumed. Great Book. Good recipes. I found the best seasoning to use in the recipes I cooked some Shrimp in. I purchased their All Purpose Seasoning which is similar to Zataran's Creole Seasoning but much better. Their Steak seasoning cannot be beat. Check out [...]

5 comments about A Trim and Terrific Louisiana Kitchen.

1. This cookbook has been our favorite for the last couple of years. At first glance, the recipes appear to be too simple to be exciting, but somehow they pack a lot of complexity and flavor into a few ingredients. It is the PERFECT cookbook for everyday after work cooking, but there are also plenty of recipes that you will want to serve your guests too. Their grilled flank steak recipe is a standard at every summer party I throw, and it gets rave reviews every time.



2. I am very delighted with the purchase of this cookbook. Due to health reasons within the last few years, I have been adding lowfat cooking to my menu. Holly provides some very lowfat and tasty recipes anyone will enjoy. The Heavenly Cheesecake was a sweet treat to my whole family. A good lowfat cookbook to add to anyone's cookbook collection! I recommend it.



3. No, that is not an oxymoron! I was raised in Louisiana and Texas and I am very picky about "home cooking." This book has delicious and light recipes that are easy to make. My entire family loves the food from this book. I find myself reaching for this one over and over again. The stuffed artichoke tastes just like you get in New Orleans!



4. I received this book as a wedding gift in 1997. Just about every recipe that I have tried has been wonderful. The White Chili is a great change from Tortilla Soup and the pasta recipes are very easy and light. This is a wonderful addition to your cookbook collection.



5. This is one of my very favorite cookbooks. I received it as a gift in 1993, even signed by Holly!!! It is marked up and stained on many pages. You can't go wrong with this cookbook if you want to eat healthy and still have lots of flavor. I recommend the Chicken Fricassee....it even impressed a real cajun cook....my mother in law!!!

4 comments about Beans, Greens, and Sweet Georgia Peaches: The Southern Way of Cooking Fruits and Vegetables.

1. Southern cooking is more than pork fat and collards (though these are good things). Southern cooking is--like any other important cuisine--making the most out of nature's bounty. Damon Lee Fowler knows that. He takes the natural abundance of Southern gardens and creates (or in many cases) recreates recipes that make eating your vegetables the best part of the meal.

   If you grew up in the South and/or (like me) had a Southern mother or grandmother who cooked lots of seasonal vegetables. This book is chock full of recipes and memories.

   I have tried about 2/3 of the recipes so far and I haven't found one that I disliked.




2. Damon Lee Fowler's "Beans, Greens, and Sweet Georgia Peaches" is a follow-up to his successful "Classical Southern Cooking", concentrating this time on the Southern cook's way with fruit and vegetables. It is, however, much more than merely a book of recipes. Instead, Fowler serves up a delightful treatise on the philosophy and outlook of Southern cooking, in which the recipes act more as examples of his principle arguments, rather than the book's main raison d'être. It is clear that the author is more interested in explaining the `why' of Southern cooking than the `how' - something that is very useful when you find yourself needing to make substitutions because of problems of availability! In addition, his enthusiasm for his subject shines through on every page. In all, this makes for a fascinating read. The book also contains some really wonderful recipes!

   Throughout, Fowler concentrates on Southern traditional ways, always aiming for the authentic touch to his dishes and methods of preparation. Consequently, even though this book is mainly about vegetable dishes, prepared Southern-style, it is by no means a vegetarian cookbook. Traditional Southern pork dripping or ham, as well as seafood features prominently throughout the book. Nevertheless, Fowler remains sensitive to the fact that its title and subject matter may well draw the attention of those seeking vegetarian recipes and so he thoughtfully (and tastefully!) provides true vegetarian (and even vegan) alternatives wherever possible. While these may not be totally true to their origins, the results are every bit as tasty.

   My copy of this book was given to me by my wife, as a memento of our first trip to Atlanta. Even though some of the ingredients are a little hard to come by the UK, it has nevertheless come to be one of my favourite sources of inspiration in the kitchen. And it is a wonderfully mouth-watering way to be reminded of the hospitality the Southern States!




3. This book is a treasure. I was so pleasantly surprised that it wasn't "weird" and un-southern like "Booklist" led me to believe. Now I can almost cook like my great-grandmother did. (I need more practice.) Not only is this a great cookbook and reference, it's full of very enjoyable reading. I find myself picking this up for my recreational reading and getting hungry. It also tells me all I want to know about the vegetables themselves, like how to choose a ripe cantalope, and why sweet potatoes are sometimes called yams. However, it's very well organized and laid-out if you need to get a recipe and skip the conversation. (But that's not very southern of you.) I can't get enough of that braised cabbage!



4. Finally able to duplicate the vegetable dishes my grandmothers made.
   
   e.g. Slow cooked Pole Beans with ham hocks, like I remembered. Tip: you have to have the right type of green bean or it just won't work.

No comments about Buster Holmes Handmade Cookin'.

No comments about The Cajun Cookbook: 141 Delicious, Mouth-watering Cajun Recipes (Kindle Edition).

5 comments about Emeril's TV Dinners: Kickin' It Up a Notch with Recipes from Emeril Live and Essence of Emeril.

1. I tend to think Emeril's books get a lot of low rated reviews because people seem to either love or hate the guy. I've always looked at Emeril as an entertainer first as opposed to a chef whose receipes I'm going to run out tomorrow and try to make. While the title of this book may lead to the belief that these these may be recipes related to those things that camein aluminum tins. The TV refers to his TV show as he presents 150 recipes from his year on the Food network.
   
   There are some very exotic dishes to be found in the pages of this book. Things like Creole Spiced Blue Crabs with Green Onion Dipping Sauce and Rock Shrimp Stuffed Flounder,or Emeril's Potato Truffle Charlotte. From Fall River, MA to New Orleans you get 150 classic recipes. Whether its Cajun or dishes inspired by his Portugese heritage, there's quite a diversified set of recipes to be found here, all with Emerils enjoyable way of presenting them in a fun an entertaining way.
   
   Honestly I will never make most of these dishes. It's just a blast to read. As I said I love wathcing and reading Emeril with his knowledge about food and cooking.



2. I got this because I told someone I liked Emeril (about the five times a year I manage to catch his show). It's a gorgeous book and I highly recommend it for any avid Emeril fan. The recipes are well organized, the layout is beautiful, and it's a collector's item for a fan. For a cook who doesn't love/watch Emeril, it doesn't offer much.
   
   I also tend to do a lot of healthy and low-fat cooking, which this book is not amenable to. The food is delicious, but you pay for that it fat in calories.
   
   Many of the recipes are accompanied by a narrative from Emeril about, for example, the different types of potatoes you might use in this recipe, or the techniques used in cooking it, or a cooking history lesson. These make the book a stand-out item, but again, it mostly stands out for the rabid Emeril fans.



3. My wife and I are big fans of Emeril, and we love watching his shows. This book has some REALLY good receipes, and you can choose ones as simple or as fancy as you like. The directions are spelled out pretty well, and the ingredients lists in the margins make sure you have everything. My wife was born and raised and New Orleans, and even she is impressed with some of "my" cooking from this book. Thanks Emeril!



4. The excellent Fish 'n' Chips recipe alone merits the three star rating. A number of other intesting looking recipes. Emeril's lively style suffuses the text and makes it fun to read.



5. Great food but really fattening. Not really good for the Novice cook.

5 comments about Leon Galatoire's Cookbook.

1. I was born and raised in South Louisiana, in the town of Buras. I fined your opinion concerning the red beans and rice recipe completely inaccurate. If you read the package your hard red beans come in you will find they call for between 8 and 10 cups of water. Further more this is the way my grandmother, being of cajun ascent, has prepaired her red beans for many years with outstanding results, at home and church gatherings. Red beans and ricely yours Barry Brooks



2. I have been going to Galatoire's since I was a young child. On a recent trip to New Orleans, my husband and I were lucky enough to find this cookbook. As a wonderful birthday surprise, my husband made the stuffed eggplant. As anyone who has had the stuffed eggplant at Galtoire's knows, the name of the dish is a misnomer. The stuffed eggplant is a wonderful gastronomic event filled with shrimp and crabmeat. Later we made the crabmeat au gratin with the leftover crabmeat - it was sublime. I am looking forward to trying some of my other favorite dishes from the restaurant such as the crab maison and oysters en brochette. Anyone who has been to Galatoire's knows there are no descriptions of the food -- only names and prices. One of the things I love about the book is knowing what some of the dishes are. I will surely sample more on my next visit to New Orleans. Galatoire's is an institution and I am so pleased to have some of their recipes.



3. Cajun and Creole cooking are often lumped together as a single cuisine. There is some justification for doing this, as there is a lot of overlap between the two cuisines, and they share many of the same dishes. However, they are not identical. If Paul Prudhomme represents the far Cajun end of the Cajun-Creole spectrum, Galatoire represents the far Creole end. Traditional Creole cooking, such as that served up in New Orleans at Galatoire's, Antoine's and Brennan's, is not the fiery hyper-spiced food of Prudhomme. Traditional Creole cooking is subtle, refined, and Continental in character. Seasonings are used merely to accent the flavor of the food, rather than to overwhelm it. Galatoire's book is an excellent example of this type of cooking. The recipes are delicious, suprisingly easy, and yes, even somewhat low in fat.
   The chicken, shrimp, and ham jambalaya is nothing short of spectacular. My wife and I have cooked and eaten many different jambalayas, including recipes from Prudhomme, Justin Wilson, and from the excellent book by Terry Thompson. We have also had it in many restaurants in South Louisiana and elsewhere. We both agree that Galatoire's is the best we have ever tasted. His technique is somewhat unorthodox. The rice is cooked separately and then combined with the other ingredients for the last 10 minutes. This produces grains which are fluffy and separate, yet fully absorb the flavors of the meat, shellfish, vegetables, and seasonings. The Crawfish Etoufee, Shrimp Creole, and other recipes are also excellent.
   So why did I only give it four stars? While the recipes are great, there are some problems with the mechanics and layout of the book. 1) There are a fair number of typos 2) The recipe for Crawfish Cardinal has you produce a stock as the first step, which is then never mentioned again in the recipe. 3) Recipes for sauces are in another part of the book from the recipes which call for them. Listing the page numbers for the sauces in the main recipes would have been helpful. 4) A few recipes are repeated verbatim in different chapters of the book (i.e. appetizers and main dishes). This seems awkward and unnecessary.
   5) For a few recipes, a variation is described for the main recipe, and what is traditionally used is mentioned at the end. For example: Cobia Courtboullion is described. At the end of the recipe, Redfish is mentioned as what is traditionally used in South Louisiana. I would prefer to have the traditional recipe given first.
   These problems are primarily editorial and easily fixed. I would love to see Galatoire come out with a competently edited second edition of this book. I believe it would become a classic among Cajun-Creole cookbooks.
   In conclusion, despite the problems mentioned, the recipes in this book are great and make it well worth owning. If you love Creole cooking and prefer flavor to heat, buy this book!



4. The cookbook is spectacular with wonderful recipes and pictures of tasty dishes. Galatoires is without question one of the top 10 restaurants in the USA, and Leon has done a fantastic job of translating the aura of the menu onto the recipe page.



5. This book is not worth it....hands down. It is simple, unispired food and not worthy of an association with Galatoire's. This is the first time that I have been disappointed in an Amazon buy this with offer. No wonder Leon Galatoire no longer works at the restaurant.