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Summary: LOVE IT & so does everyone else
Review: All I have to say is this my third copy. Every time I let someone borrow it, I never get it back.
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Summary: My favorite Louisiana cookbook
Review: 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
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Summary: Best all-round reference for authentic La.-style cooking
Review: By far the best Louisiana cookbook we own, my husband and I (both La. natives) use it at least twice a month for our "old stand-by" Cajun favorites, as well as an occasional experiment in some of the more ambitious Creole undertakings. It's a sensibly organized collection, with several different versions offered of the standard gumbo and jambalaya recipes, along with some innovative crab and crawfish dishes. The authors' instructions for specific cooking techniques are more precise than in other Louisiana cookbooks I've used, with the final product coming out closer to what you'd find in a REAL New Orleans restaurant. Two minor criticisms: (1) A spiral-bound version would stand up better to frequent use; and (2) the addition of a recipe for muffaletta bread would fill a major gap.
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Summary: An Absolutely Reliable Classic
Review: I am a professional caterer and cook.
I love the old classics such as Julia Child's Volumes I and II and the New York Times Cookbook. If you have similar tastes, you'll love this book as well. The recipes are absolutely perfect as is and require no adjusting, not even for salt. Now over 20 years old, my book is bedraggled and stained with the remnants of many happy meals.
Really delicious food that makes friends and family very happy!
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Summary: This is IT!
Review: If you are looking to cook up the REAL thing, this is cookbook for you. I ate my way through New Orleans in the '70s and '80s using Richard Collin's restaurant guides and never went wrong. A scholar and gourmet, Mr. Collin and his late wife spent years researching and testing recipes. No, many of New Orleans' great dining halls don't give out recipes (oh, for the recipe for some of the departed Le Ruth's dishes, or Mosca's Chicken Cacciatore or Chicken a la Grande!!) but the versions here are in a similar style and thoroughly authentic. The emphasis is more to the Creole rather than the Cajun side, with more subtle flavors and less hotness. But don't worry - there's always plenty of garlic! The preparations aren't always easy and do take time, but you'll be handsome rewarded! I never cook Louisiana style without this book nearby!
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Summary: Excellent recipes that showcase Louisiana cooking
Review: This book is one of my all time favorite cookbooks. The recipes are wonderful, well written and very helpful. I am originally from Louisiana and have appreciated being able to produce some of the great dishes I have enjoyed back home.
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Summary: Confusing Recipes and Directions
Review: This is a romantic book. I have read it cover to cover and it brought up wonderful memories of the brief time I have spent in New Orleans and vicinity. So far, I have made only one dish (White Bean Soup) so far and it was very bad. I found the directions confusing, which may have contributed to the failure. I also suspect they got the recipe from some colorful Cajun type sitting under a live oak smoking something funny. However,in spite of my nasty comments, I will make good use of this book as a source of ideas to adapt my tried and true dishes. As an example, I will adapt the bean soup recipe in an attempt to replicate a memorable bean soup I had in Tupelo, Missippi many years ago. This not a cookbook for inexperienced cooks
Rating:
Summary: Confusing Recipes and Directions
Review: This is a romantic book. I have read it cover to cover and it brought up wonderful memories of the brief time I have spent in New Orleans and vicinity. So far, I have made only one dish (White Bean Soup) so far and it was very bad. I found the directions confusing, which may have contributed to the failure. I also suspect they got the recipe from some colorful Cajun type sitting under a live oak smoking something funny. However,in spite of my nasty comments, I will make good use of this book as a source of ideas to adapt my tried and true dishes. As an example, I will adapt the bean soup recipe in an attempt to replicate a memorable bean soup I had in Tupelo, Missippi many years ago. This not a cookbook for inexperienced cooks
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Summary: "The" New Orleans Cookbook
Review: This is my favorite New Orleans cookbook. It contains all of the definitive creole and cajun recipes. I have been cooking from this book for over twenty years. My dishes made from these recipes are good enough to allow me (and anyone else) to pass as a native New Orleanian. This book is an original. It was first compiled in 1975 -- before the Cajun cuisine became a national fad. In our family recipes are generally referred to as "THE", implying that no mere imitation or substitute will do. What! this in not "THE" potato salad! Are you bringing "THE" gumbo? Rima & Richard Collin have created "THE" New Orleans Cookbook.
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Summary: Best of the Best
Review: This is the best of the best New Orleans cookbooks. I bought my first copy in 1975. It is stained and falling apart and I will not part with it. The recipes are authentic,well written, easily understood and they all come out delicious. I have given copies of the book to each of my children and now my friends want copies, too. I can't recommend this book highly enough. the navy bean soup and the shrimp creole recipes are family favorites, along with the chicken gumbo, soaked salad...I could go on and on. if you like Creole food you can't go wrong with this book.
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