3 comments about Cajun Cooking for Beginners.

1. I don't know where this woman learned to cook, but she sure needs to go back to school. I was born and raised in New Orleans and went to college in Lafayette, Louisiana so I know Louisiana cooking. Her recipes are trite and unimaginative. Do yourself a favor and buy a cookbook .... Save your money and avoid indigestion, don't use this book. END



2. The other reviewer completely missed the point. This is a starter's book, of course it will seem basic to someone from New Orleans. I was also raised in New Orleans, and,like most people here, I was raised cooking. However, those poor souls raised north of I-10 need some help. Ms. Bienvenu is a well respected culinary writer in the New Orleans area, and offers solid advice to the uninitiated.



3. Having been raised north of I-10 and not needing help with my cajun cooking, I love to read cookbooks all the same, even though cooking is not one of my favorite chores. Cajun Cooking For Beginners has inspired me to cook some of the old favorite dishes, using it's recipes for reference. My family thanks you.

5 comments about Favre Family Cookbook: Three Generations of Cajun and Creole Cooking from the Gulf Coast.

1. Did ya say Laissez les bons teps rouler ?? ( Let the good times roll ) The Favre family is sharing a little of what makes them unique. Great down-home cookin' comes through with the Favre family and friends unique zest for life. The entire book is seasoned with humor and keeps you entertained - even when not planning that special food for game day parties.

   Well done, with many photographs and easy to follow. This is a book for all that love to Cook. Many Helpful kitchen hints, includes award-winning recipes Dickie Brennan Restaurant Group, Brett Favre's Steakhouse, adding to its appeal. Favre traditions from "Touchdown Breakfast" to "Dancing Chickens" celebrates food , family and fun.

   This book is like a special spice added to your favorite family recipe. I enjoyed the meal and plan to share with friends.




2. I have had the good fortune of being at some of the Favre cookouts and events they gave hosted the past couple of years. My wife and I have always loved the food - the Favre's have always put on a terrific display of food. With this book we have now been able to cook some of these meals at home. The recipes are very easy to follow and the results are truly delicious. Our favorites are Meemaw's Super Bowl Shrimp Creole, Scott's Paneed Pork Chops, and Chicken a la Clark - and those are the only ones we have tried so far! It is obvious that the Favre family has put a lot of time and effort into this book. Besides the wonderful recipes, there are terrific pictures, interesting stories, amusing Favre anecdotes, and helpful cooking tips. The book is top-notch and The Favre's should be very proud.

   We highly recommend this book. Bon Apetite...




3. Even though the Packers aren't the greatest team in the world, their quarterback knows a thing or two about good gulf coast cooking. The easy to follow recipes have turned out great results with little effort. Try the gumbo, it's the bomb!



4. I bought two copies of this book for my sons, who both like to cook. They have both enthusiatically endorsed the recipes and like the heartiness of them. The foods are simple, yet have a real southern taste and don't call for exotic ingredients that are impossible to get.



5. This book was a gift to my parents who are huge Brett Favre fans - They loved this cookbook and it has recipes that are easy and tasteful.

5 comments about Chef Paul Prudhomme's Fork in the Road.

1. Although I have not used many recipes, the book is certainly a wonderful way of cooking healthy without loosing the flavor. I purchased the book "used" from amazon marketplace and was very pleased with the condition of the book as well as the way the transaction was performed. I would give her a 5 star rating.



2. What I like most about Chef Paul's cooking is that all of his dishes have an immense amout of flavor to them. One of the recipes that I am particularly fond of,"Not your Mama's Red Beans", has both a sweet and spicy taste. I guess the phrase "well rounded" is best. Each dish has levels of sweet, spicy, savory flavors.

   The fact that the recipes are healthy are an even greater value to the owners of this book.

   Really good stuff!




3. My wife was sent to the nutritionist recently by her doctor, and this nice lady asks her, "So what did you eat last night?" My wife says, "Well, baked acorn squash with apples, shrimp, leafy greens, lots of spices, a little bread crumbs, and a pinch of Parmesan on top." The nutritionist's jaw drops. "How much fat?" "Oh, well, just the cheese, really." The nutritionist now asks if it was tasty? "Oh yes, excellent. It's a Paul Prudhomme recipe, you see." The nutritionist now begs for a copy of this recipe. I should note that I had eaten this dish (and I hate squash) and thought it was delightfully full of fat. Oops!
   
   Okay, not every recipe in here is spectacular. But most of them are incredible. Your pantry will fill with things like apple juice, evaporated skim milk, and the like, but you will eat very well and not look like Paul Prudhomme (I'm sure he'd think this funny, and you know what he looks like).
   
   The baked squash with shrimp is worth the price of admission right there, because you'd think it was seriously bad for you. You can taste the butter, you see, and the cheese. Of course, there isn't any, and it's amazingly healthy. If you ate this every day, you'd probably lose weight, but people would be begging to come eat with you. The guy's a genius.
   
   Let's face it, if you mastered all these recipes you could open a health-food restaurant and make a mint. Serve up a lot of hard-core fattening food that just happens to have no fat at all. And they'd line up.
   
   A couple hints.
   
   You really do need a bunch of non-stick pans. The insane heat with no fat thing doesn't work so well without non-stick. Get the best quality you can. For an extra-special treat, put a tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom instead. That's the kind of non-fat we're talking about: a tablespoon of olive oil is a big jump.
   
   If you're making the browned flour to produce fat-free roux, go very slow and don't expect really dark colors. It works, but it's definitely a halfway measure.
   
   Magic Brightening is surprisingly effective. Don't knock it until you try it.
   
   Remember that this is way pre-Atkins, so it's low fat but not low-carb. If you're a carb [...], go eat a steak and shut up. If you're into delicious food with very low fat, buy this book.
   
   About 50% of the recipes here are brilliant, absolute genius. About 25% are very good indeed. The rest are a mixed bag, but I must mention that I don't have a dehydrator so the whole "turkey jerky" thing just passed me by.
   
   So what you do is you buy this and you buy "Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen" and you alternate. You have "Fork in the Road" health food for two days, which is no hardship, then you have something totally evil and decadent from "Louisiana Kitchen" for a night, and then, feeling guilty but full, you start again on the "Fork in the Road" health food.
   
   There are other Cajun cookbooks, of course, but what for? Eat 'em and weep.



4. This is a book that I purchased years ago, and it is outstanding. I am writing this review for the sole purpose of sharing my thoughts on this book after having it an using it for years. I would highly recommend this cookbook, but only if you like to cook. I feel that one should consider his or her own personal interest, finances, interest when purchasing cookbooks. I don't feel that this is a good book for beginners or people that like to eat but hate cooking. Many of the recipes in the book have long spice/ingredient lists and people would be shocked at how much some of the spices and ingredients may cost in order for them to make one dish. So, if you don't like cooking you may spend $40-50 to make a dish and if you don't cook anything else out of the book, you would have been better off eating out.
   
   All that said, you would not regret the final product if you like cooking or you can committ to making the dishes. I like everything. Personal favorites include sweet pepper cream shrimp, turkey rex, and the new chicken and shrimp gumbo! I live in Southeast Texas and I am very familiar with cajun and creole cooking. Enjoy this book. Peace.



5. I own every cookbook from Prudhomme, and this is by far the worst. If you want a diet cookbook, look elsewhere. The fruit syrups and other substitutes he has you make will go bad in your refrigerator before you use them. The taste of the finished products? Yuck! If you want Cajun food, fit it into your calorie budget or exercise more.

5 comments about The Prudhomme Family Cookbook: Old-Time Louisiana Recipes by the Eleven Prudhomme Brothers and Sisters and Chef Paul Prudhomme.

1. This book has changed my taste buds forever. The food is SO good! IT takes a little more work than most of today's cookbooks, but the results are worth it. If you like food, you need this book.



2. Unfortunately out-of-print, this great book contains many, many recipes from Chef Paul Prudhomme's family, along with a few from the King of Blackening himself. Meticulously detailed to ensure good results, the recipes are all failproof. Some recipes, however, serve better as conversation pieces than actual things you'd want to make. Hog's head cheese? I shudder to think. Red boudin ( made with fresh pork blood )? Eeek! All the same, the coconut cake recipe is really excellent, worth preparing your own fresh coconut for. A must for serious Cajun cooking fans.



3. This spectacular Cookbook is sadly out of print. I have seen it here on Amazon.com though. Be sure to purchase your copy before they are all gone. I am a big fan of Chef Paul Prudhomme, my entire family is actually. We have all of his cookbooks. This particular book contains some of our favorites. We recommend the Jambalayas. There are several different variations. The Shrimp & Crabmeat Jambalaya is terrific. It's not a spicy Jambalaya so you might want to add some of the optional hot peppers as described in the recipe. We sure did, Wow what a difference it makes. The Fried Green Tomatoes are a wonderful tart snack or side dish. Green tomatoes can be hard to find, try your local farmers market or health food stores that sell fresh produce. These are definately worth the effort it takes to find them.



4. Grew up for part of my childhood in Opalousas LA. We had a local restaurant run by this great family in one of the near-by towns. They used to test out new recipes on my mother and father, but the desserts were always tested by me! This was a wonderful and loving family, full of fun and good food. thank you Prudhommes for the wonderful childhood memories!!! I'm sad that your book is out of print.
   
   Now for others on Amazon. This is REAL cajun food. YOu get a lot of stuff that is buffed up to be cajun because it is supposedly spicey, and contains a few ingredients such as andoille sausage. But truthfully that does not make it cajun!!! Cajun food is supposed to be a mixture of creole, french and carribean influences -- but it is not those foods just mixed up together!!!! You cannot borrow this and borrow that! Cajun food is part of a culture, one of the many diverse cultures that make up our dearest US. So if you want to learn authentic, delicious Cajun cooking, pick up the Prudhomme Family Cookbook and Paul Pruhomme's Louisiana Cooking or Tastes of Louisiana.
   
   This cook-book (written by the whole family)is a treasure, and unforetunately it's out of print. I would highly recommend buying it used even. I must own 20-30 cook-books, and yet I always borrow this one from my mom when I want cajun food.
   
   Great book!! Should be back in print! And you can see a bit about Paul in Bon Appetite this month as well. He and his family are a generous lot.



5. Paul Prudhomme is a well known celebrity chef in the Louisiana cajun/creole culinary scene, as well as a prolific author. This particular book has some interesting information, but it's not one of my favorites.
   
   What I liked:
   
   * There's some good historical information on some old regional specialties that are slowly disappearing ... blood sausage, hog boucherie, salting/pickling/canning meat, etc. Some of this information is not particularly useful or practical for modern suburban cooks (who lack access to fresh pig blood and who have refrigerators and thus no longer need to salt/pickle/can stuff to preserve it), but it's important and interesting stuff that deserves to be preserved ... touchstones from a slowly vanishing era & sub-culture.
   
   * The recipes are no-frills, stick-to-your-guts, feed a hardworking blue collar rural family type fare ... and ya gotta appreciate and respect that. Many of the recipes are well honed, and have the patina of age to them, and will always have their rightful place on the American table.
   
   * There's some good instructional information that many other co-called 'cajun' cooks gloss over ... things like extensive tips of making, storing and using various types of roux, tips for cleaning (and eating) crawfish, etc.
   
   What I disliked:
   
   * PHOTOS: There are none ... only a small scattering of indifferently drawn B&W sketchs. Call me spoiled, but I like books with glossy photos, so that I have a general idea what finished dishes are *supposed* look like, presentation-wise. I also like photos, because it helps me 'windowshop' for recipes that I'd like to try ... that way I can see at a glance if it's something I'd be interested in, rather than having to read through a recipe at length in order to get a general feel for its style/approach/flavor. If I'm paying a premium for a hardbound book, then surely the publisher can include some work by a food photographer.
   
   * COVER SHOT: Another thing that never fails to irk me is books that have photos of dishes on the cover that don't appear anywhere in the book. Case in point - this book features a photo of a whole roasted piglet on the jacket ... something I was interested in attempting for a BBQ I was planning at the time, so I bought the book. You guessed it - nadda. Zip. Zilch. Not mentioned anywhere, not even in the small print buried up front in the publisher's legaleze. Typical bait & switch 'teaser' photo, to entice readers. I wrote the publisher a ... ahem ... nice note about that goof.
   
   * SCOPE & POLISH: This is just a book of some assorted family recipes - it's hardly an exhaustive treatise on cajun cooking, and recipes were duplicated faithfully rather than updated or polished in any way to achieve improved results ... the result is many recipes are lackluster and out-dated. Forget about modern appliances like food processors - this is chop/grind it all by hand cookin. Anyway, just because a given recipe documents the way grandma did it forever, doesn't mean that it's the best, tastiest, or easiest recipe ... as anyone who's serious about cooking will rapidly attest.
   
   Anyway, it's a decent, if unspectacular and rather dated book.
   
   Add a star if you're an old fashioned Louisana dirt farmer, age 50+, who raises pigs on/near the bayou, sans phone or electricity.

No comments about LA Bouche Creole II.

4 comments about Tell Me More: A Cookbook of 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.

5 comments about Emeril's Creole Christmas.

1. Having received this as a gift, I must confess that I have never cooked from it, but have perused it many a time.

   Included our recipes for a Christmas Eve Dinner for ten, Christmas Day Brunch, New Year's Eve Dinner, along with stuffing suggested gifts, mail order sources, shopping lists, and wonderful writing about the holidays and wine suggestions.

   On the "want-to-try" list are: Sugarcane Ham with Spiced Apples and Pears, Creole Christmas Fruitcake with WHiskey Sauce, Jiffy Pop Firecracker Shrimp, Crab Bisque with Crab Boulettes.

   Delightful book with great writing and photos and organization.




2. I was overjoyed with the delivery of the book. I purchased it used, at a fantastic price. There the joy ended. The recipes are ones that only a person looking for the completely abnormal meal would like this book. Only the section of Gifts to Make was worth reading. The recipes called for ingredients that are difficult to obtain and mostly of unusual taste. Would have cried if I had paid full price.



3. I bought this cookbook for my sister, who is a big Emeril fan! I was a little worried after reading the reviews and as soon as the book came in, went through it to check it out.
   My mom and I both went through the book and cooked 2 Christmas dinners out of it! Yes, before I gave it to my sister. She was bummed that we hadn't gotten it for her. I wrapped it up and gave it to her used and I'm buying my mother her own copy as well. The food and stories were fantastic!!! and BAMBAMBAM!!!!! on the poinsietta cocktail, I highly recommend it for your next Christmas gathering!!!! loved it!!



4. If you're only familiar with Emeril from his TV appearances, this book may surprise you. It lacks the flamboyance and loud flashiness, replacing them with a certain elegance and gourmet style. It includes a Christmas Eve dinner for ten, Emeril's Christmas Day brunch buffet, New Orleans New Year's Eve dinner, a New Year's Day supper family style, the Chef's holiday favorites, and Emeril's "stocking stuffers."
   
   The book is filled with gorgeous photographs of lavish decorations and settings. They artfully set the mood in this book--one of no expense spared in the interest of fabulous holiday memories. Each section of the book is done as a menu, so that you can make the menu whole or steal individual recipes. None of these menus are quick things, and this book isn't designed for the cook who doesn't like to spend more than a half-hour in the kitchen. Shopping lists are included, as well as wine pairings.
   
   This is not the cookbook for someone on a budget: it calls for such expensive ingredients as caviar, truffles, and huge amounts of fresh raspberries, some of which can be tough to find depending on where you live. The book also assumes at least a little experience with basic cooking techniques--novices shouldn't be starting with a gourmet cookbook using expensive ingredients. Not all of the recipes cost so much, however, and they aren't all complicated; for example, the spiced pecans are extremely inexpensive and easy, and they're so good that we've made them more than 15 times at least (and we don't often repeat recipes). They're so good, in fact, that people request them specially when they come to visit at holidays.

   So try the salad of new potatoes and roasted walnuts with warm bacon vinaigrette, or the truffle risotto with parmesan croutons. Make the andouille cheese bread or the white cheddar truffle eggs. Save this book for an occasion when you really want to pull out all the stops, whether it's Christmas or some other important time in your life. The photos alone will inspire you to do great things in the kitchen!




5. I absolutly love to cook, have been to culinary school, also not afraid of new things. I have tried most of these recipies and many have become regulars. The smoked salmon terrine although is expensive we normally make on every holiday now. Sugarcane Baked Ham with Spiced Apples and Pears is super. Beef Tenderloin with Fresh Horseradish and Black Pepper Crust was suprizing ly good, I ont like horseradish at all, but it was paired so beautifully in this recipie it was sublime. Jiffy Pop Firecracker Shrimp we make everytime we have shrimp in the house. the Chocolate Chocolate Pudding Cake with Chocolate Ganache, Creole Christmas Trifle, Creole Christmas Fruitcake with Whiskey Sauce and the Banana Cream Pie with Caramel Drizzle and Chocolate Sauces is to die for, however this recipie is written with the assumption you have made custards b4 and know you need to temper it beford adding the hot milk mixture. I have not made the Lobster Cheesecake with Christmas Caviar Sauce but hope to soon. the big boy cookies and the spiced pecans...Ummm yummy, I am soo happy to have bought this book. If you are open to try new things, If you like to occasionally like to indulge and eat like something so decatend and pretend that it is a common thing, this book is definatly for you. Emmeril, you are my hero.

1 comments about Creole.

1. My wife and I love this book. Every recipe we have tried is fantastic. Every recipe has a picture that shows the final dish. The quality and binding of the book is the best I have seen.

5 comments about Prime Time Emeril: More TV Dinners from America's Favorite Chef.

1. I found the following on PCRM.org website: "Celebrated Food Network star Emeril Lagasse offers among the worst of the celebrity books. Although he offers a few low-fat salads and vegetable dishes, most of the recipes are loaded with fat and cholesterol. From ham hock wontons to chicken pot pies, these dishes should be off-limits for anyone with a weight problem."



2. Uncomplicated but delicious recipies. Even through all the status and hype Emeril remains down to earth and offers cookbooks which, like his shows, offer recipies busy people can use regularly. Very useful for everyday cooking.



3. don't go many days without peeping out Emeril doing His Magic in the Kitchen.the Man got skills for days.a tight funky Band&the way he blends His food is always on point.this Book is another example of why the Man is the Best at His Craft.



4. Some are difficult. I was hoping he would talk more about his excellent but short-lived sitcom. That is why I shorted the book one star. Lets all kick it up a notch and buy this book. Time to eat,delicisious Great recipes and also book brings the Greatest Chef to my home.
   
   [...]



5. Prime Time Emeril is a treat to the taste buds, and a traveling smorgasbord offering page after page of adventurous dining. What I liked best about this book is the introduction to each recipe giving some background information about the dish itself, but also reveals a part of Emeril as a man and a chef. The intros made me feel like Emeril is more real and more approachable than most chefs of his stature. It's a worthwhile book to own and it made a lovely present to me from my husband. Pork Chops and Applesauce: A Collection of Recipes and Reflections

5 comments about Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Tastes: Exciting Flavors from the State that Cooks.

1. This book will supplied me with years of cooking pleasure. Each time I open the book something new and exciting jumps out. Plus all the old favorites are included. A good buy for my money. Joe :-)



2. The man who changed culinary history (blackened everything!) presents a masterpiece. Anorexics need not apply! Must have addition for collectors of American Regional Cuisine books.



3. Living in the south, and so close to Lousianna. I found nothing familiar in this cookbook. Dishes were more of a "new cuisine" than the standards that we have come to love and enjoy. Ingredients in some of the cooking are not at all familiar to cajun cooking. Some are down right hard to find. If you are expecting a book of authentic cajun cooking, do not buy this book. If you are wanting something experimental and off the beaten path, this is for you.



4. This cookbook is great. We made the Palmetto Chicken last night. Wonderful! Even the kids liked it. I am coming to appreciate the great contributions Chef Paul has made to American cooking. I'd love to visit K Paul's someday.



5. If you look at my other reviews of Prudhomme's cookbooks, you won't be surprised that I bought this one. Unfortunately, the quality of testing has slipped, so that not all recipes work just the way he says. I say this at the start, because in 95% of cases, these recipes are wonderful.
   
   This is definitely not yo' mama's Louisiana cooking. But Prudhomme adds all this "taste as you go" information that is fascinating and helpful. He tells you, you see, what a dish will taste like at each stage. For example, he remarks that something is going to be very spicy and salty, with an undertone of ginger. Okay, you taste it at that point, and see what he's saying. Then you add the chicken (or whatever), and that cuts the flavor and builds it up.
   
   Prudhomme is into flavor layers. Basically the idea is that you have caramelized stuff, then very cooked stuff, then lightly cooked stuff, then just barely cooked stuff, all going at the same time. At each layer, the flavors are different, even the spices. If you can tell the difference between a raw onion and classic (good) French onion soup, you know what I'm talking about. And this cookbook is a primer in how to build layers of "meaning" in your cooking by these techniques.
   
   Okay, not every recipe works perfectly, but most of them are excellent as they stand. The Country Chicken Pie will kick your [...]. The Beef Stew Pirogues are unbelievable. And some of the desserts are things you'll dream about. I actually had a guy call me to tell me he was quite literally dreaming about a meal I made for him, primarily from this cookbook.
   
   The other thing is that Prudhomme has gotten better as a teacher. The more you read and cook with this book, the more you will get how this cuisine works, and be able to construct your own recipes. I have done this with great success, and I give him total credit for it. I make things up, people tell me I'm a genius, and I know that really it's Chef Paul who's taught me everything I know.
   
   And, yes, as one reviewer noted, your kids will like this stuff too. Weird but true. If you want your small children to eat leafy greens, cook them this way and stand well back.
   
   A lot of people object that Paul Prudhomme is too into hot food, and if you hate spicy food you're going to hate this cookbook. But you can tone things down: just make up the spice mix and use less of it than he says. But it's very odd. I love his Lambalaya recipe, which I make with orzo instead of rice, and while you're cooking it the dish is WAY too spicy. But once it's done and you wait about an hour before serving, since you've got to pick up the kids and get everything ready, the spice layer drops wildly and suddenly the thing balances perfectly.
   
   It's black magic and voodoo, that's what it is. Must be.