Customer Reviews

Every Day's a Party: Louisiana Recipes For Celebrating With Family And Friends

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(20)

 

 

Emeril creates polar opinions. Read some of the other customer reviews and you'll see what I mean. His "in your face" style forces people to make a love or hate decision. This book is a celebration of Emeril. But it is also a cookbook. It was given to me as a gift and I have thumbed through it several times and tried a few of the recipes. One thing first: Emeril's cookbooks are not for the first time chef. The show my be fun but his recipes can be pretty demanding and it takes a practiced eye to seperate the easy from the difficult. Finding ingredients can also be a challenge. One frustration about this book is the lack of food photos. Pictures of a finished dish can be helpful, especially when you're not sure things are going well in the kitchen. All of that said, the three recipes I have tried so far have turned out great. Just be prepared, cooking like Emeril takes time and makes a big mess. And, while you're cooking you have to try a few, "bams." They do actually make the food taste better...

I believe that Emeril has slipped just a little bit. This book is grand in concept, but somewhat lacking in substance. He may be so busy trying to keep his shows going, his personal appearances, all of his restaurants, etc that he has lost a little bit of his true creative edge. Most of the recipes in here are ambitious, but they tend to miss the mark. He has taken some of the fun of innovating and run wild with it, to the point that it is counterproductive. I would advise Emeril to take a break for a little while and get back to the kitchen to do some real cooking. He should get back in touch with the basics that are so vital to true Louisiana cooking. The 'creative' dishes that he has been displaying lately on his show and the recipes in this book are indicative of how he has gone just a little overboard.

This book features many pictures of unidentified good times but no pictures of the food being featured. I have tried four receipes and of the four only one turned out as it was described. I would not recommend this one.

When reading a cookbook by Emeril Lagasse, the first thing one has to realize in assessing its merit is that most people either love or hate Emeril. Since I love Emeril, I assumed I'd love this book. But I've read enough good cookbooks to recognize a not-so-good one when I see it and I'd have to put this one in that so-so category. The recipes are interesting to read, if not to prepare, and their typical over-the-top piling on of ingredients which is Emeril's signature I find to be exciting and inspiring. On the other hand, the book itself is not terribly well organized. It is separated into events, or celebratory occasions, instead of types of dishes (i.e., appetizers, main courses, desserts, etc.). This makes it hard to absorb or remember what is in this book, harder still to compare the merits of one type of recipe with another. For instance, if you're looking for a great appetizer to make for a party, you have to scan the whole book to figure out if it has anything appropriate to offer. I'm not real fond of this format. I don't buy the criticism that Emeril's writing technique assumes knowledge -- his style is to be a teacher wherever possible. I also think that anyone who would like to cook or read about low-fat food really has no business reading Emeril's stuff, so that's not a fair criticism either. Overall, the book offers typical Emeril fare, which I happen to like, but it does so in a confusing and haphazard manner which I didn't feel comfortable wading through. I wouldn't recommend this book for anyone who either hates Emeril or needs information at the tips of their fingers.

I also recieved this book as a gift, and I loved reading it-- not looking at the recipes, but sitting down and reading it cover to cover. It's that kind of book. I agree with the reviewer who stated that it was not for beginners-- certainly not!-- but it's an interesting take on the food of both Louisiana and Emeril's multi-geographic, multi-ethnic background. If you don't like Emeril, and are just looking for some Cajun and Creole recipes, don't go here. But if you, like me, have become wound around his little finger, this is a good choice.

I have one other E.L. cookbook and I enjoyed this one, too. However, I would have rated it higher if photographs of the dishes were included. Great history and insight to holidays, special occasions. Easy to understand recipes.

While I agree with many folks that Emeril's over-the-top style is not for everyone, the Louisiana Party recipes are really just what you need for big get-togethers and just plain fun.

I don't know what it is, but Louisiana-style food just shouts "Party on!" I used to use another famous Louisiana cook's Jambalaya (Paul Prudhomme) all the time, but I needed some new party recipes. So I was very glad to get this book and find that the Shrimp Creole recipe is terrific for parties. So is the Hot Jalapeno Crab Dip. There are also a lot of rice recipes in the book--and I like rice dishes for parties, which is why I was stuck on Jambalaya for so long. Because Emeril encourages you to "kick it up a notch" or go "BAM" you can always adapt these recipes to your own tastes. This isn't a sacred text, to be read aloud in hushed tones as you measure the ingredients with a scale and tweezers.

This is "BIG" food. We are not talking low fat, nouvelle cuisine -type fare served on huge empty white plates with Monet impressionist paintings in three colors of sauces. This is loud, hot, lipid-enriched, naughty, down-home stuff. If that's what heats your skillet, then go for it.

I thouhght the book was exactly what it said it would be...a party.I had so much fun reading it.A must have for people who actually read cookbooks just like a novel.

My Father was born and raised in Louisiana, Opelousas to be exact so I was raised on great cooking. I have all of Emerils cookbooks as well as some of Cheif Paul's. There is so many different kinds of food and meals in this one. Most of the ingrediants a Cajun usually keeps at his house. They are simple to make and so far live up to what I would consider a party food to be. If I could make just one suggestion, there have been a few ingrediants mentioned for some of the recipes that I have never heard of and would like some way of finding substitutions for these. Keep up the good work Emeril and goodness knows that we do not need to see pictures of the food, we just always know that they will be great. Sincerely, Connie Halphen Harber

I loved this book. It has stories about Emeril's background, history, what goes on in Louisiana all throughout the year, his Mom and Dad (Hilda and John) and pictures. I really like some of the recipes - I haven't tried them all of course, but the ones I have are great - especially some of the desserts! Even if you don't ever make the recipes, read the stories about each month and his background....if you watch Emeril every night like I do, you'll love it!