Customer Reviews

The Best of New Orleans

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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My wife presented me with this cookbook as a Christmas gift a couple of years back and I initially sighed to myself, thinking that here was yet another of those flashy, little culinary marketing devices with no real cooking foundation. My pre-judgement could not have been more wrong!

I'll keep it brief but this diminutive 1994 volume features every essential Cajun/Creole recipe that you could ever wish for and they're all first-class renditions. You'll find top entries for all the well-known dishes (jambalaya, gumbo, etc.) but you'll additionally encounter some superb and lesser heard-of entries such as "Cajun Popcorn" and "Crab-Stuffed Mirliton".

Here's the table of contents:

1. First courses
2. Breads and sandwiches
3. Egg dishes
4. Main courses
5. Vegetables and side dishes
6. Desserts and drinks
7. Glossary
8. Conversion tables
9. Index

I was thrilled to also discover that Paul Prudhomme had some heavy influence in this cookbook. Paul is "The King" in the realm of Cajun/Creole cooking as far as I'm concerned and some of his K-Paul Restaurant recipes are featured.

This cookbook is 96 pages in length and the dimensions are 6 7/8" x 7". The work is heavily illustrated with beautiful color photographs (by Steven Mark Needham) of the various dishes. This is an especially important feature to the cook with these sorts of intricate ethnic recipes. The fonts, while not huge, are big enough to read easily; the book lies nicely flat when opened; and the paper is a good, heavy, slick stock which will somewhat repel spills and stains and can thus be wiped clean which such accidents occur.

"The Best of New Orleans" is one of a series: all titles begin with "The Best of..." and they include California, China, France, India, Italy, the Mediterranean, Mexico, Spain, and Thailand.

If you're into the exciting and flavorful fusion dishes of Cajun/Creole food this one is a must. The author, Brooke Dojny, has created a treasure with this entry. My highest recommendation.

For a native of Louisiana, long time expatriated, this brings back many memories of fantastic tastes, scrumptious flavors, a savor no one should be denied. Excellent recipes! Merci bouquet, lm

I really like this book...I visit New Orleans a few times a year and one day got the urge to cook New Orleans style. I saw this book and thought I'd give it a try. I really like it! It has most of the recipes you would want to cook from New Orleans. It's a good basic New Orleans Cookbook! Now, I just need to throw a Mardi Gras Party!!

I've picked up a few of the cookbooks in the series and I have to say, although I thought they were just picture books off the bargain table, it turns out that they all contain excellent recipes.
The New Orleans book is the best one. I was actually disappointed the last time I went to NOLA and couldn't find any restaurants (except Acme Oyster House) that made red beans & rice as good as this recipe. The shrimp creole is wonderful, the jambalaya outstanding, and we can't decide which version of gumbo we like best.
If you enjoy the food of the New Orleans, this cookbook is the one you need.

Having eaten several selections from the Best of New Orleans Cookbook, I knew the receipes were wonderful. Friends had shared the book back and forth for months. I prepared some of the dishes myself and was elated at how simple the food was to prepare and still how delicious it tasted.
I have sense ordered The Best of Italy and The Best of France. I know they will be equally as rewarding

These books are definitely among my favorites. Hands Down!