This cookbook was recommended by NPR (I think) and so I thought I’d check in on my Cajun/Creole recipes and see if there was anything new to learn.
The book has a wide selection of recipes, and I found 3-4 that I want to try in the future. There is also some great photography in here, food and otherwise.
Part of this book is a plea to save the disappearing Louisiana Bayou areas that are rapidly disappearing thanks to river damming and climate change. Also the availability of cheaper overseas fish/seafood is highlighted as a reason for the area’s decline.
There was also a sort of strange streak of sexism here – the author felt that men representing her cuisine’s cultural heritage was inappropriate given that “women run the kitchens” where she comes from. She states that “women hold our cuisine, culture, and traditions together.” I’m not sure why it is important that a man or a woman is cooking this food – I don’t think that anyone is evaluating it based on the sex of the chef – but I felt this element distracted from the rest of the story.
I’ll give the recipes a try over the next few months – hopefully they are as tasty as they looked in this cookbook.
