Customer Reviews

Cooking With Cajun Women: Recipes and Remembrances From South Louisiana Kitchens

5 star:		(6)
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2 star:		(1)
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I am from southwest Louisiana and this is one of the best Cajun cookbooks I have ever bought! Most of the recipes are what my family has always prepared and still serve now. I recommend this book to everyone in Cajun country and to all of you that want to cook Cajun. A great gift for anyone that loves to cook. Ms. Fontenot has done an excellent job!

Nicole Denee Fontenot spent two years interviewing Cajun women who grew up in the first half of the 20th century, and presents her research in Cooking With Cajun Women, a simply terrific blend of cookbook and anecdotes of older times when all food was homemade. Memories appear as highlighted sidebars to accompany dishes such as Fig Jam and Berry and Seafood Gumbo Cajun-Style.

What a wonderful way to introduce everyone to Cajun food and the interesting people who live in this area! Nicole shares with her readers not only tried and true Cajun recipes but special moments in the lives of the authors of the recipes. Life has not always been easy for the Cajun people, especially the women who married young, mothered many children - some their own and other times those who happened by and ended up staying- worked along side her husband in the field, and went to church, always. Their stories represent their enduring faith, respect for Cajun traditions, strong family ties, and some of the best Cajun recipes that you will ever want to try. All of this is part of the Cooking with Cajun Women cookbook. I highly recommend it! You can try the recipes and while waiting for them to cook ( and enjoying the delicious aroma that will soon fill the room), sit back (with a large cup of strong, hot Cajun coffee, if available) and read about the Cajun ladies who have shared their stories with Nicole. Oh yes, do I have a favorite recipe? I certainly do. Try the blackberry pie with the sweet dough crust - it is gooooooood!

Cooking with Cajun Women exemplifies the current cultural traditions as they are today, using the recipes of older Cajun women all over South Louisiana not from one family unit. The book is a reflection of reality that includes recipes of times past with those of the present, because people today blend modernity with cultural traditions. Cajun culture has thrived because of its adaptability not in spite of it. The older ladies submitted these recipes and they represent what they are cooking today. People are more practical today and not everything is slow cooked, thus to deny it and act as if everything is made the old-fashioned way is dishonest. The book is a perfect blend of history and reality. The people of South Louisiana love the treasure filled book and to those who have left the area and lost touch with the people of Louisiana, you have spoken out of turn and out of context. You missed the message entirely.

I have this cookbook and anyone who loves cajun food will love the recipes. I have tried some and they are wonderful.

This is a GREAT thing for young couples especially b/c it's REAL authentic recipes from actual ppl down here. I say it's great for young ppl b/c they're so used to their mama's cooking & when they move out or get married, most of them don't have a clue how to cook this stuff (I know I didn't!). Another thing I love is: it may have 2 or 3 recipes for something, from 2 or 3 different women. Also, I love reading the short stories on the recipe pages of the way things were way back when. The author did a wonderful job & conquered a "real" cajun cookbook. I wish I could give it 10 stars!

Coming from South Louisiana (Cajun Country) I had high hopes from the title of this cookbook. However, after reading some of the recipes, I am astonished at astounding quantity of canned creamed soups called for in so many of them. Real Cajun cooks must be laughing themselves silly. Cajun cooking does not begin with CANNED SOUP! Get yourself a real Cajun cookbook. This is not it! Read it for the "remembrances," but certainly not the recipes. Apparently the Fontenot clan hasn't a clue about Cajun cooking.