Crescent City Cooking: Unforgettable Recipes from Susan Spicer's New Orleans (Hardcover)

by Susan Spicer (Author), Paula Disbrowe (Author)
Key Phrases: bouquet garni, garlic confit, shrimp stock, Chicken Stock, New Orleans, Grana Padano (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. In this mouthwatering debut cookbook, Spicer, noted chef and proprietor of New Orleans's Bayona and Herb-saint, offers a vibrant look at the diversity and breadth of her local cuisine. With more than 170 recipes ranging from Cajun-spiced Pecans and Classic N'Awlins Shrimp Boil to Spicy Thai Salad with Shrimp, Pork, and Crispy Rice Noodles, Spicer highlights the range of the region's cuisine. Shellfish appear in several recipes such as Poached Oysters with Leeks and Bacon, and Shrimp and Tomato Bisque. Sandwiches, gumbos and desserts are also given ample attention. Throughout, Spicer provides brief but helpful descriptions of unusual ingredients such as file powder and less common techniques like cold smoking. The must-try Killer Cocktails section (to-go cup not included) and Spicer Pantry list of important tools and ingredients will make any cook happy. This comprehensive guide to New Orleans cuisine will whet the appetite and please the palate. 86 color photos not seen by PW. (Nov.)
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Review
“This is a great cookbook, full of accessible recipes that people can cook from everyday.  Susan Spicer is a master at marrying exotic flavors with great Southern food.  She is a New Orleans treasure and one of the most talented chefs at work in America today.”

–Suzanne Goin


“Susan Spicer is a chef who dazzles the palate with flavors rooted in her beloved New Orleans.  Her long-awaited debut, Crescent City Cooking, is full of mouth-watering recipes and show-stealing sides, and her chapter on killer cocktails from Bourbon Street is simply not to be missed.  This book is one big party.  Congratulations, Susan.”

–Lidia Bastianich


“Susan Spicer is one of my favorite chefs in my favorite dining city in the world. Her sense of place and tradition is as romantic as it is alluring, and her recipes, basted with an incredible depth of flavor, are disarmingly simple to prepare. Susan's cooking celebrates the vibrant key of the French quarter, and the food in this book is tasty, delicious and exciting to make.”

–Mario Batali


"Susan's cuisine is a true journey around the world, blending soulful ingredients into exciting and original recipes.  Her love for New Orleans' tradition shines through her innovative cooking."

–Daniel Boulud, Chef/Restaurateur




From the Hardcover edition. --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Knopf (October 23, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400043891
• ISBN-13: 978-1400043897
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 8.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #44,365 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The cook-book you always wanted, November 12, 2007

By	C. Elgin "akitonmyers" (Palo Alto CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I had the pleasure of working for Susan Spicer many years ago, so I might not be the best judge of `crescent city cooking'. However, and on the other hand, I know that she is a one hundred percent perfectionist. Spicer will not let one plate out of her kitchen that does not pass her absolute hard-core standards. And I think that `Crescent City Cooking' is one of those cook-books that anyone who has spent even a little time in the kitchen will appreciate due to both its simplicity and shrewd advice.

One thing that I would like to point out is that these recipes are in my opinion guidelines. Maybe you try a dish one time exactly the way it is spelled out here, but then half the fun is in playing slightly with the ingredients the next time. What is talked about here is how to get the most out of a dish... how to go about it the right way.

In my mind, Spicer is a culinary god. I always compare every single restaurant to Bayona. Some have come close, but ultimately none match the quality over-all of dining experience. Lastly, if you have never eaten at bayona, if they still seat out on the patio, and you are in New Orleans in the spring or fall, book a table.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I can't put it away, March 22, 2008

By	R. King - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I received this book about three weeks ago, and have cooked almost exclusively from it since it arrived. Not one thing has disappointed. I sent my daughter a copy, since she spent most of a visit copying recipes from mine. We did the shrimp boil while she was here (delicious) with the epiphany lemon tart for dessert. Since then, my husband and I have enjoyed the shrimp with green chile cheese grits, and the Madeira mushrooms over goat cheese croutons. I've been reading it like a novel in bed at night, anxiously awaiting the next meal I can make from it. The photographs are beautiful, the writing approachable. Buy it.

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great New Orleans memories, December 17, 2007

By	Chicago foodie (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

Bayona's has always been my favorite New Orleans restaurant since I discovered it about 10 years ago. And it is my favorite because of Susan Spicer. Her recipes evoke happy memories, and are easy to follow. I need another cookbook like I need a hole in the head, but I am really glad I added this one to my collection.