The Justin Wilson Cook Book [Plastic Comb]

Justin Wilson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 31, 1975

Who is Justin Wilson? That's a pretty silly question for anyone in Louisiana to ask. Perhaps no public figure is better known or loved during recent times in the Pelican State than Justin Wilson. Curiously enough, Wilson got his start as an industry safety engineer, a highly valued and respected one too, instructing oil refinery workers, dockworkers, and law enforcement officers all over the South. It was this line of work that inspired the Cajun storyteller in Wilson, judging from what Wilson himself has to say: "Way back when I first started as a safety engineer, I took myself pretty seriously. And I found I was putting audiences to sleep. So, having lived all my life among the Cajuns of Louisiana, and having a memory for the patois and the type of humor Cajuns go for, I started interspersing my talks on safety with Cajun humor. And you know what? My audiences stayed awake." Not only did they stay awake, they chuckled, laughed and roared-and learned their safety lessons. For nearly two decades, Wilson was in heavy demand as master of ceremonies for everything from a supermarket opening to a Miss Texas contest. He recorded an album, The Humorous World of Justin Wilson , which broke all album sales records in Texas' recording history. After that he made four more(all successful), appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, MC'd conventions, parties, political rallies, christenings, and you name it. Although he'd accomplished all that, Justin Wilson still wasn't satisfied-he decided to expand his range of expertise to include the culinary arts, and has enjoyed lots of success in that arena, beginning it all with The Justin Wilson Cookbook . When it was first published by Pelican in1965, it was a cookbook like no other-a Cajun cookbook-and it still stands alone as a masterpiece of Cajun cooking and of culinary expertise in general. Readers will be glad to know that The Justin Wilson Cookbook reflects the Justin Wilson personality-entertaining and authentic. And the meals you cook from this book will go down in your gastronomical memory as the most exciting and interesting ever

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Justin Wilson was internationally known as a Cajun cook and humorist. During his lifetime, he appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show. He was voted one of the 100 most influential Southerners of the twentieth century by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and his twenty-seven comedy albums once outsold Elvis Presley. His other Pelican titles include The Justin Wilson Cookbook, The Justin Wilson #2 Cookbook: Cookin' Cajun, Justin Wilson Looking Back: A Cajun Cookbook, The Justin Wilson Gourmet and Gourmand Cookbook, Justin Wilson's Outdoor Cooking with Inside Help, Justin Wilson's Cajun Humor, More Cajun Humor, and Justin Wilson's Cajun Fables. Wilson died in 2001.

Product Details

• Plastic Comb: 96 pages
• Publisher: Pelican Publishing (January 31, 1975)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0882890190
• ISBN-13: 978-0882890197
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #225,762 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, I garontee!!, January 3, 2001

By 

MarvelousMarla "MarvyM" (Way down in Dixie) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Justin Wilson Cook Book (Plastic Comb)

This book a primer on New Orleans cuisine ala Justin Wilson. I remember his cooking show and always got a kick out of how he would pour a little wine in his pots and drink the rest. You could see that this man enjoyed food, and this translates into his book. I credit Mr. Wilson with teaching me how to make a decent roux because before I read his recipe, I always used butter or vegetable oil. Hey, I'm from Brooklyn, what did I know from a roux? The olive oil made a huge difference in my gumbo. I was even inspired to try jambalaya -- it was yummy!!

On a past trip to New Orleans, I purchased one of the Junior League Cookbooks which has an abundance of recipes and tips. However, the other book relies on a lot of processed and prepared ingredients. Those recipes are also a lot fussier. I prefer Wilson's cookbook for its simplicity. He also includes plenty of local color and anecdotes.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good food & a Good Sense of Humor, July 6, 2000

By 

C. Joseph (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Justin Wilson Cook Book (Plastic Comb)

His successful television show on PBS was just a sampling of his gift for food prepreation & for making people laugh, with fans internationally, this book is a perfect example of what DELICIOUS is! If the recipes are followed correctly, the result is outstanding, if the recipes are not followed correctly, then it is not the fault of Mr. Wilson :-)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Justin Wilson, August 21, 2009

By 

Brad Mattix (Floyds Knobs, Indiana) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Justin Wilson Cook Book (Plastic Comb)

I recently ordered this book to replace the original that I've owned for twenty five years. I wore the ink off of the pages. Justin Wilson taught me to cook. This was his first published cook book. His later books are all based on the recipes contained in this book. If you're debating on which of Justin's books to buy, start with this one. You won't regret it