Customer Reviews

Bouche Creole, La (La Bouche Creole)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have personally used over 25 recipes from this book and haven't had a bad one yet. Leon mixes his love of food with his families favorite recipes.I have worn the cover off of my original copy and am ready to replace it with a new one. I also can't wait to try Le Bouche Creole II. A definate winner!

This cookbook contains recipes for real Cajun/Creole dishes (not the fake ones, like blackened redfish) along with tons of history and memories. We grew up listening to Mr. Soniat on the radio in New Orleans, and this book is pure Louisiana. Along with the recipes, he includes memories of his mother and grandmother's cooking, and day to day life in early to middle 20th century New Orleans. I was born in Hammond, LA, and lived in Baton Rouge as a child, and this is the food I grew up on. A must-own for anyone who loves good food.

My wife and I bought this on our honeymoon in 1983 and it has become a staple in my cooking. In fact, I dug this up on Amazon.com on the off-chance I could find a copy, because is so dog-eared and stained that some old favorites are alomost unreadable. Simple recipes, with simple ingredients, pretty much idiot proof. Even the basic sauces are things a novice could use. This is the true creole and cajun cooking before the new cooks on the networks. Also, forget the recipes- this book has a fascinating group of narratives about the old Louisiana and New Orleans. They are worth the price of admission.

This book is not just another creole or cajun cookbook. It is an idepth study of recipe originations and early life in the State of Louisiana. Being from this area, I have been exposed to some great food and always wanted to know how to prepare it. This book is a can't miss and has many types of dishes, some pretty exotic.

A little old lady in a New Orleans gift shop recommended this book and promised me that I would be happy with it even though I didn't recognize the author and it wasn't a glamorous book. She was absolutely right. I have made about a dozen and a half of the recipes in this book and every single one of them has been a crowd pleaser. My family is loud and rowdy, so when a meal makes them go silent except for the occassional utterance of "oh my gawsh, that's good", you know it's a winner. Most of the recipes require you to do things "the long way." I haven't noticed any tips on how to shave time. Soniat's writing is personal and folksy, and his stories are touching, and he lets you know that good cooking is a labor of love and you just can't take shortcuts.

My particular favorites in this book are the Chicken-Corn Maquechoux (a delicious, light stew that makes the whole house smell good while it simmers away), and his simple bread pudding recipe (which I've made once as published and ever since by adding some cinnamon and soaking the raisins and apples in a splash of rum for a couple of hours first--take his advice and make sure the loaf of french bread is really stale for this one; the final textures is fantastic).

I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

This book explains the origins of some of the recipes. The recipes don't seem intimidating. I have seen several books which I passed up because the recipes were elaborate.

I'm from Louisiana and received this as a wedding present. It is the most authentic book I've found so far. It helped me to not be so homesick when I live in Ohio (the land of bland).

This is a very interesting book, with lots of insights into Creole culture and foodways.
The author has a relaxed and engaging style, and the book is an entertaining read.
Some of the recipes could have used better editing, but overall even a novice cook should have good results using them.

I have used this cookbook for years; it has brought wonderful concoctions to our table as well as being just good reading. It is an insight not only how to prepare an exciting meal but the background into a fascinating culture.

Having ovwned this cookbook for over 20 years, I have made dozens of recipes in the book with many of them (such as the jambalaya and gumbo recipes) becoming favorites that I've made over and over. I have nothing but good things to say about this book. The contents of the book are very thorough covering everything from appetizers to desserts, and the recipes are very accurate regarding ingredient amounts and cooking times. If you're looking for a good Creole cookbook, I highly recommend this one.