Customer Reviews

Ralph Brennan's New Orleans Seafood Cookbook

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New Orleans, it's famous for its seafood. And do you want that great New Orleans taste in your own home? Then this is the book for you! Author Ralph Brennan is a third-generation restauranteur, who owns three New Orleans restaurants, so he definitely knows what he is talking about.

OK, you've never heard of him? You don't care about the man, only the recipes? Then let's get down to brass tacks. This book is crammed full of excellent recipes. Each recipe begins with an introduction, and then continues on with the ingredients, step-by-step directions, advance steps (if necessary), and special equipment. The book itself is large, which means that it lays flat on the counter, and its ample spacing means that the instructions stay distinct from each other - so, it is easy for the amateur cook (such as myself) to go back and forth between the book and the food.

And here is where the rubber really hits the road - so far we have made three recipes from this book Crab Cakes with Ravigote Sauce (page 56), Shrimp Bisque (page 118), and Dark Chocolate Cake with Hot Fudge Sauce (page 292), and they were all magnifique! Yes, this is a great book, one that we are very glad to add to our kitchen library. I give this book my highest recommendations. If you want too cook up some great New Orleans seafood, then get this book!

I can often tell how good a cookbook is by seeing how many small bookmarks my wife places among the recipes. Between bits of newspaper coupons and paper napkins, or whatever else was at hand, the top of my review copy of Ralph Brennan's New Orleans Seafood Cookbook has become a veritable forest. The recipes actually come from Brennan's restaurants. Given the extended family into which he was born - New Orleans restaurant royalty, with members owning a number of major names in that city's eating establishments - there is little surprise that he went into the business.

The beginning of the book has a "manual" for how to select, store, and handle various types of fish and seafood. I would have liked to see a bit more - for example, not just filleting a whole fish, but also gutting and cleaning it. However, even in the section on fin fish, there was a tip I had never heard for telling if a fish is done. Insert the tip of a knife into the thickest part of a fillet. Then put the tip against the inside of your wrist. If it feels hot, then it's done. And there's plenty of other useful information, like an explanation of the difference among different types of crab meat and crabs.

The recipes look fabulous: crab cakes with ravigote sauce, chilled smoked scallops with tomato-and-onion marmalade (making your own stove top smoker is in a tips appendix), oyster and artichoke bisque, baked catfish with sweet potato scales and andouille sauce, shrimp and spinach cannelloni with champagne butter sauce. This is upscale fish cookery.

Oddly enough, my eyebrows frowned when I came upon the dessert, side dish, and drinks sections. Heaven knows I love dessert, and there are some terrific recipes in here, and I've also been known to tuck into side dishes and even take the occasional drink (including a rum-based milk punch during a "Breakfast at Brennan's" at the famous restaurant owned by some of his kin). But there are so many general and even restaurant cookbooks, I found myself wishing that they had just concentrated on the fish alone, expanding those sections even more (not that they are skimpy by any means). But that's just me; my wife happily bookmarked through the rest of the pages as well.

It's a hefty $45, but you get a hefty amount of hardback for the money. It could make a great gift, whether for someone else or yourself.

Ralph Brennan writes about his passion for cooking and for preparing seafood a la New Orleans style so well that the recipes seem a bonus. Filling the pages of this well designed, beautifully photographed (by Kerri McCaffety) cookbook are not only some of the finest recipes for seafood in print, but there are also bits of wisdom and humor that spice the presentation, making this one of the classiest cookbooks to come out in a long time.

Brennan is careful to give the background of each of the many dishes he shares, starting with the idiosyncrasies of the ingredients and types of seafood he uses, but also the 'how to' aspect of preparation before cooking, step by illustrated step of the preparation , and elegant photographs of the presentation of his works of culinary art. The book is divided into 1( A Seafood Cook's Manual, 2) Appetizers, 3) Gumbos, Soups and Bisques, 4) Salads, 5) Main Courses, 6) Desserts and their sauces, with additional chapters on accompaniments, sauces, dressings, stocks, spirits, and seasonings. From these pages rise such spectacular foods as Crab Bisque with Cauliflower and Brie, Seared Tuna with Shrimp and Capers and Balsamic Vinegar Brown Butter Sauce, and even Fried Oyster Poor Boy sandwiches (the recipe is as much a tale of history as it is a useful guide to preparation).

Ralph Brennan not only gives precise and easy to follow directions, but he also makes it sound like such fun to prepare his suggestions that the book is readable as literature. This is a must for lovers of seafood, especially those who have enjoyed the author's restaurant in New Orleans. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, June 08

As a college student and definitely not a professional chef I try to find recipes that are easy but delicious. I am helping my mom cook dinner this summer and am trying to find a recipe that appeals to my health conscious parents and my hungry football playing younger brother. Last night for dinner I decided to make the Crab and Shrimp Cobb Salad with Remoulade Sauce from Ralph Brennan's New Orleans Seafood Cookbook. It looked delicious and healthy but the several pages of instructions seemed like a daunting undertaking. However, I was determined to create this dish and impress my family. After reading all the steps and beginning my preparation I realized that the three pages of instruction were not because the recipe was difficult but instead were detailed steps to instill confidence in the chef that they were preparing the dish correctly. The oohs and aahhs from my family as I brought out the salad encouraged me to try more recipes from the Cookbook and my mom was so impressed she started taking pictures of the salad. The Crab and Shrimp Cobb Salad was such a hit that I know I will look in the Ralph Brennan New Orleans Seafood Cookbook for another recipe. In fact, I have already scoped out the crabmeat lasagna with crab-&-chanterelle butter sauce for the next time my mom needs help with dinner.

It was a cool, crisp autumn day as I entered one of those ubiquitous chain bookstores in Mobile, AL. I was not there for a cup of java or to knock out a little early Christmas shopping. No, I was here to meet royalty. Well, culinary royalty anyway. Ralph Brennan is yet another of the New Orleans Brennan's who own some of the countries most notable eateries. Ralph is the Brennan behind BACCO and Red Fish Grill in the French Quarter, Ralph's on the Park in mid-city New Orleans, as well as Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen at the Disneyland® Resort in Southern California.

When the meeting was first set-up I was worried that I might only get a few minutes with the famed restaurateur but when I realized that his book signing was scheduled at the same time as the 112th renewal of the Deep South's oldest football rivalry, Auburn and Georgia, my outlook improved. As it turned out the game was a barn burner so most respectable folks stayed glued to their sets. Football is, after all, the official religion of Alabama. As for me, I took advantage of the extra time to discuss some of the issues that plague our industry (food services) with a former president of the National Restaurant Association. Very interesting and eye-opening matters I assure you but unfortunately for you, dear reader, off the record.

For me it was a conversation I will long remember. One of the selling points of being a chef for the Brennan's is that they are foodies. They get it; they understand the passion by which chefs go about their work, in fact they share it. Recently when speaking with Chef Tory McPhail of the Commander's Palace he related how once a week he sits down with his employers (Ralph's cousins) for several hours and they just chat about food. They discuss trends and pricing, movements and fads. And oh, how I envied him. But no more, for at least one afternoon, I was part of the Brennan Family.

Family is an important concept to Ralph Brennan and to him it transcends DNA. If you work for Ralph you are a member of the family. If you dine at one of his restaurants you are also a member of the family. This attitude is clearly behind why he repeatedly wins awards as the best employer in the Crescent City. In 2003 the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation named him "Employer of Choice" and in 2003 & 2004 took honors from New Orleans City Business for "Best Places To Work."

Being from New Orleans it should come as no surprise that Brennan has a strong tie to the bounty of the seas, most of us along the Third Coast pride ourselves in the quality of our seafood. Ralph Brennan's book is both a tribute and a crash course on Gulf Coast seafood and therefore the majority of the interview focuses on such:

ME: Of your restaurants, do you have one that is your favorite?

Ralph Brennan: No. Each one is different. I've never duplicated a restaurant yet. They're each different; they're each fun. They take turns being a challenge to me. That's kind of fun, too.

ME: You mentioned that you had restaurants all over the country; do you have anything new in the works right now?

RB: No. Katrina and the economy. Katrina set us back and we were just starting to think about where we were going to go, look around at maybe some other opportunities and then (hurricanes) Gustav and Ike came and then now these national economic problems. Right now I'm kind of nosing around at some things but nothing serious.

ME: Why a book about seafood?

RB: Well we wanted to do a book. Then we started to think about it and we looked around and tried to see what other books had been done. And I didn't want to do a restaurant cookbook. I wanted to do something broader than that because sometimes I find restaurant cookbooks are kind of limiting. With four different restaurants I just didn't want to pick one.

We decided seafood could be a good area. Some people had done it but not to the extent that we did it. Then what we did was we had each of the chefs, there's four chefs plus the executive chef, put together recipes and Gene Bourg who's the former food critic from the Times-Picayune helped me select the recipes so they're balanced. About 25% of the recipes are traditional recipes like the Trout Mangier and then we have more contemporary recipes that we do today. So it's a blend of the old and the new and all kinds of seafood. One of our dishes at BACCO is a lobster ravioli and it's our top selling dish and it's not in the book because it's not Gulf seafood.

ME: So the Gulf seafood is important to you?

RB: Yeah. We only use domestic seafood. Most of it is Gulf seafood. Our chefs have the ability to play a little bit with specials but we're not going to import crawfish or shrimp. There are people who will sell you what they say is the same species as red fish but they come from Thailand or wherever, Vietnam. We won't do it. We'll pay more for it to get Gulf seafood.

ME: How does the New Orleans style of cooking seafood differ from other regions?

RB: That's a good question. I guess it's probably the way we season our food. The traditional Creole seasonings that we use and each area seems to have different seasonings so I would say that's probably it, how you flavor the food.

Ralph Brennan's New Orleans Seafood Cookbook is published by Vissi D'Arte Books (New Orleans, LA) and is a 170-recipe masterpiece created by the perfect storm of Southern talent, restaurateur Ralph Brennan and his five talented chefs, veteran editor Gene Bourg, award-winning photographer Kerri McCaffety, and experienced recipe tester Paulette Rittenberg. It is also the perfect gift for the seafood lover in your family.

This cookbook shares some of the best recipes to ever come out of the Crescent City. The food images are stunning and the photographer goes a step further to search out beautiful architectural elements in Ralph's restaurants. This book not only captures the unique tastes and flavors of New Orleans, it also captures the cities soul. Ralph Brennan's New Orleans Seafood Cookbook is truly a feast for all senses.

-Lisa from Louisiana

I bought this cookbook to get the recipe for the praline bread pudding we enjoyed at Bacco's. It was even better to discover that the book itself is such a treat. I would recommend it for both the novice and the more experienced cook.