Reddit mentions: The best cajun & creole cuisine books

> and you’d be surprised how many condiments are soybean oil based (mustard, ranch, bbq sauce, salad dressings and marinades etc)

Not really, no. Soy, corn, wheat, sugar, and misc. refined starches are everywhere, in shelf-stable packaged foods. You can find mustard with made with no oil or other oils if you look, and proper BBQ sauce without soybean oil (by that I mean savory mustard/turmeric sauces, not that sugar syrup junk that Yankees, and even Carolinians, think is worth eating ;)), but your choices get really limited, really quick. Given all that goes into typical BBQ, I've come to treating it like cake, or ice cream, rather than as an every day food.

> I’ve genuinely tried exploring in the grocery store but so many things have allergens!

Don't buy those. In fact, try to minimize going into the isles, without specific items that you already know you want to buy from them, and stick mostly to the periphery.

Start mostly from actual ingredients, and you will have plenty of variety. Most people don't even realize that I'm a picky eater, thanks to autoimmune issues, including but not limited to allergies, because I'm the one going to the exotic restaurants, and bringing in weird food for lunch at work, or to the pot lucks. I have to mentally strike out most of any restaurant's menu, anywhere I go, or pass on most most of what other people are making. I can't eat a hamburger and not get sick, but my local Korean places make kimchi jigae with all stuff I can eat in it, and it's tasty AF.

With a full kitchen, if you can do some basic cooking, IMO, go to the library or a book store, and check out some big comprehensive cookbooks. It's nice to have something you can just grab and look through (I find Pinterest is great for this, on the modern high-tech side, but good cookbooks tend to have been tested on people, and have little things that your average [b|v]logger will miss). Or, start learning those basics, if that's where you're at. While I've been cooking since I could physically reach everything, I've known a couple people that went from 99% frozen food and take-out to being good cooks within just a couple years, so...

Three come to my mind that are excellent, which I've had for many years now, cherish, that have plenty of easily adjustable recipes, plenty of them that should be just fine, lots of text on process (which matters a lot, and is often overlooked), and with minimal fancy foods:

https://www.amazon.com/Justin-Wilsons-Homegrown-Louisiana-Cookin/dp/0026301253

https://www.amazon.com/Cocina-Familia-Authentic-Mexican-American-Kitchens/dp/0684855259

https://www.amazon.com/Original-Boston-Cooking-School-100th-Anniversary/dp/0883631962

Plenty of taste bias, there, but that's life.

I grew up along the Gulf Coast so I have a deep love for Cajun and Creole cookbooks. I also love the old Justin Wilson PBS episodes you can find on Youtube. I love buying used cookbooks, it's amazing the deals you can get.


Do you have any recommendations for books I should add to my collection? Here are the Cajun/Creole books I already have.

Southern Creole Style Cook for Love and Life - Diabetic/Hypoglycemic oriented cookbook. My mom found it at someone's home who had a bunch of stuff on their lawn to give away for free. It's a pretty good book spiral bound like a Junior League book.

Cajun Low-Carb by Jude Theriot

Paul Prudhomme Louisiana Kitchen

Prudhomme Family Cookbook

Patout's Cajun Home Cooking

Justin Wilson #2 Cookbook - Cookin Cajun

Cajun Creole Cooking - Terry Thompson

I don't have bound editions of these but they are ones I enjoy that are free to read online because they're so old.

The Picayune Creole Cookbook 1901

Cooking in old Créole days. La cuisine créole à l'usage des petits ménages


***

I also love historical cooking books: Food on the Frontier: Minnesota Cooking from 1850 to 1900 with Selected Recipes (Publications of the Minnesota Historical Society) is so interesting as is Buckeye Cookery & Practical Housekeeping: Tried and Approved, Compiled from Original Recipes and The Settlement Cook Book 1903

This book was given to me by my uncle when I first started working in kitchens when I was a kid. It has great pictures and instructions on knife work and techniques. It is a very valuable part of my collection almost 20 years later. This book, The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook is just a whole lot of fun.

Edit: I forgot two.

The Prudhomme Family Cookbook: Old-Time Louisiana Recipes by the Eleven Prudhomme Brothers and Sisters and Chef Paul Prudhomme another fun one.

If you have a place like Half Priced Books go and look though the Culinary section. You will find all sorts of books from textbooks to mom and pop recipe books printed by the local rotary club. Start simple and work your way up. Good luck.

I only own one cookbook, so I might as well give it a plug because I've made some great dishes from it. My New Orleans by John Besh. I should say that I have a love affair with Cajun food though. If you ever see it in a store, at a minimum take note of how to make basic creole seasoning. I put it on everything now, and it makes everything delicious.

Look up the Baton Rouge Junior Leagues cookbook. This is it.

River Road Recipes: The Textbook of Louisiana Cuisine https://www.amazon.com/dp/0961302682/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ja5CAb6B1ZJRX

They also make a second one as well as a third healthy options one.

All the best seafood recipes in one place. All the best sauces and meat recipes and desserts as well.

Gumbo, étouffée, jambalaya, mornay sauce, hollandaise, oyster baking styles, custards, meat pies, the list goes on forever.

If you decide to do a New Orleans cookbook like /u/PlumLion suggested, I highly recommend River Road. It's a classic around here...a lot of people give/get this as a wedding gift :) My parents still use the one they got when they got married! There's a Vol. II that's also fantastic.

Donald Link's Real Cajun is fantastic. John Besh's My New Orleans is also excellent albeit a bit more involved. I find myself going to Link's more often, but for really sexy recipes, Besh has some real winners.

I have used Good Time Eatin' in Cajun Country and have enjoyed some of the ideas in it. Unfortunatley, not everything tastes as good as it could be... I honestly have used ideas from this book, but applied them to my use of the following meat-focused Cajun cookbooks: Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen and The New Orleans Cookbook. These two have great tastes for spices and I just substitute the meats with beans, tofu, tempeh, whatever suits my fancy!

Great Creole Cookbook

I grew up in the heart of cajun country and although not traditional, aka filled with saturated fat, this recipe impresses even my cajun french grandmother.


[Red Beans and Rice Recipe]
(http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2006/02/real-louisiana-red-beans-and-rice.html)

Suggestions:
I sometimes substitute extra cayenne and a teaspoon or two of smoked paprika if I don't have the adobe or liquid smoke on hand.
You can also skip the salt and use good chicken broth instead of water.

Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:


amazon.co.uk

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amazon.com.au

amazon.in

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amazon.de

amazon.it

amazon.es

amazon.com.br

amazon.nl

amazon.co.jp

amazon.fr

Beep bloop. I'm a bot to convert Amazon ebook links to local Amazon sites.
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My cousin's cookbook. He always inspired me to do my best in the kitchen.

http://www.amazon.com/Commanders-Kitchen-Orleans-Recipes-Restaurant/dp/0767902904

I also use this cookbook of sauces, salsas, etc

http://www.amazon.com/Over-Top-Side-Dressings-Marinades/dp/1859674852/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

I got The Encyclopedia of Cajun and Creole Cuisine by John Folse last Christmas, every recipe has been amazing in it. He even goes into the history of Louisiana and how all the different cultural influences makes the cuisine unique. He goes from the basics of making a stock and roux to the advanced techniques like blackening.

My mom loves this cookbook. She has hundreds of cookbooks, and this is her favorite. Most of the recipes she uses in her day to day cooking are passed down and written in a notebook.

I have this Justin Wilson book and it’s a lot of fun. He’s probably not the finest cook to ever call himself Cajun (whole lotta margarine in the recipes), but it’s interesting to flip through and can be bought used for cheap. Look up his PBS show on YouTube, too!

this is my mom's favorite gift to buy for my ex's: https://www.amazon.com/Whos-Your-Mama-Catholic-Make/dp/0925417556

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i think she's bought 3 of them so far.

Recipe (the chicken and potatoes are both from Emeril's New New Orleans Cooking https://www.amazon.com/Emerils-New-Orleans-Cooking/dp/0688112846 )

Ingredients:

Chicken:

- 4 skinless/boneless chicken breasts (5-6 oz each)

- 4 tsp creole seasoning

- 1 cup bread crumbs

- 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

- 1 tsp dried parsley

- 1 tsp dried basil

- 1 tsp dried thyme

- 1 tsp dried tarragon

- 1 tsp dried oregano

- 7 tablespoons olive oil

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 1/2 tsp black pepper

- 1/2 cup flour

- 1 large egg

- 1/2 cup whole milk

Garlic Mashed Potatoes:

- 2 large russet potatoes (peeled and diced)

- 3 cups water

- 2 tsp salt

- 1 cup whole milk

- 4 cloves roasted garlic

- 1/2 tsp black pepper

- 2 tbsp unsalted butter

Brussels Sprouts:

- 6 strips bacon

- 1.5 lbs brussels sprouts

- salt and pepper to taste

​

Directions:

Chicken:

1. Pound the chicken breasts with a mallet (or roll with rolling pin) until they are about 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle each chicken breast with 1/4 tsp creole seasoning, using your hands to coat the meat.
   
2. In a bowl, combing the bread crumbs, parmesan, parsley, basil, thyme, tarragon, oregano, 1 tbsp oil, 1 tsp creole seasoning, salt, and pepper. In another bowl, combine the flour with 1 tsp creole seasoning. In a third bowl, beat the eggs with the milk and the remaining 1 tsp of creole seasoning.
   
3. Dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour, the egg wash, and then the breadcrumb mixture, coating each piece completely.
   
4. Heat the remaining 6 tbsp oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken breasts and saute until golden brown, for about 2.5 min on the first side and 2 min on the second side.
   
   Potatoes:
   
   
5. To roast the garlic, wrap 12 cloves of garlic, 1/2 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp of salt, and 1/2 tsp of pepper in foil and bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes, until tender.
   
6. In a medium saucepan, combine the potatoes, water, and 1/2 tsp of the salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook until tender, for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain in a colander.
   
7. Place the potatoes back in the in the pot over medium heat, add the milk, roasted garlic, the remaining 1.5 tsp salt, and the pepper and mash vigorously with a potato masher (or fork) until fairly smooth, for about 4 min. Whisk in the butter and remove from the heat. Serve immediately or keep warm in the oven until serving.
   
   Brussels Sprouts:
   
   
8. Cook the bacon in a large pan until crispy. Remove from heat and let cool on a plate.
   
9. Add Brussels Sprouts to the pan with the bacon fat, adding the salt and pepper. Cook until sprouts are tender, approximately 10-20 minutes.
   
10. Add the bacon back into the pan with the Brussels Sprouts, cooking for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    
11. Serve immediately or keep warm in the oven until serving.

For home-cooked type recipes, check this out:

https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=talk+about+good+cookbook&tag=hydsma-20&index=aps&hvadid=242657455351&hvpos=1t1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15051017321800423911&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9025385&hvtargid=kwd-350708428779&ref=pd_sl_72rvjd38rt_e&gclid=CjwKCAjwwbHWBRBWEiwAMIV7E2QTz_6vMSnYohxX0fhYV2ipSk3kjfvnyVGPBGZ1fX5HHJ63rrkMehoCrJIQAvD_BwE

It is a book of recipes compiled by the junior league of Lafayette.

Another great resource is this
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0970445717/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523361538&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=john+folse+encyclopedia&dpPl=1&dpID=51aeIbcYrnL&ref=plSrch

Best cookbook -- https://www.amazon.com/Whos-Your-Mama-Catholic-Make/dp/0925417556

Cool, Can't wait to here if that's it.
If you're interested in Cajun folklife you may dig this site and/or this book.

I would highly recommend John Folse's The Encyclopedia of Cajun & Creole Cuisine. It's very expensive but it's enormous (850 pages and 700 recipes) and worth every penny because it also includes a lot of history and information on the cajun and creole cultures.

I've got around 50 cookbooks and The Encyclopedia of Cajun Cuisine by John Folse is my favorite. I've cooked about 20 recipes out of this book, all entree's, and every single one was absolutely spot on. If I know someone doesn't have a copy I usually get them one for Christmas or a birthday.

The true shizzle

Who's Your Mama, Are You Catholic, and Can You Make a Roux?

Is she Catholic?

Edit.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0925417556

Who's Your Mama, Are You Catholic, and Can You Make A Roux? (Book 1): A Cajun / Creole Family Album Cookbook

https://www.amazon.com/Cookbook-Louisiana-Lafayette-Junior-League/dp/0935032029/

https://www.amazon.com/River-Road-Recipes-Textbook-Louisiana/dp/0961302682

i'm from a more ancient vagina, apparently; https://www.amazon.com/Buster-Holmes-Restaurant-Cookbook-Handmade/dp/1589808495 at least you can still get feeted raccoon here in the 9wd.

Does she cook? Maybe get her some cookbooks from here. https://www.amazon.com/Plantation-Cookbook-Junior-League-Orleans/dp/0963192507/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1479912019&sr=8-12&keywords=new+orleans+collectible https://www.amazon.com/River-Road-Recipes-Textbook-Louisiana/dp/0961302682/ref=pd_sim_14_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=KM7MPAB810FP5DHMCQ4K https://www.amazon.com/Cookbook-Louisiana-Lafayette-Junior-League/dp/0935032029/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=EQXGKS2CW7MJ03X3BB39

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1452144001/ref=mp_s_a_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518025866&sr=8-1-spell&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=cioking+up+a+storm

River Road Recipes is a classic of old-school homemade Baton Rougue cooking and encyclopedic (granted, it's from the '50s, so there are also some just awful concoctions but they're obvious).

Also John Folse, John Besh, Paul Prudhomme, Donald Link, (early) Emeril Lagasse

That was no Google search for a jambalaya with shrimp; I am familiar with Folse's work and legacy (I own a copy of his 10 lb. Encyclopedia of Cajun & Creole Cuisine and read it on the couch sometimes), and I knew I would find a proper Creole jambalaya on his site.

Gonzalez (so named the "Jambalaya Capital of the World" as a publicity stunt by McKeithen in '68 to promote the first ever Jambalaya Festival) is in Acadiana, so I would not expect them to cook Creole jambalaya at their festival; I would be an idiot to do so.

Don't get me wrong--I prefer Cajun Jambalaya, and spent a summer in 1996 working with 400 qt. batches in BR using that style. It's just that claiming that one style is "authentic" while the other is not makes us both look dumb, which everyone already assumes about us because we're from Louisiana, and we don't need that. Solidarity, brother! Gumbo can be thickened with okra, roux, or filé; and jambalaya can be made with or without tomatoes and/or shrimp. It doesn't mean that your mother did anything wrong, it just means that Louisiana cuisine may be more diverse than you ever imagined. Did you know that andouille is popular in red beans in some areas, but not so popular in others? Even hot sauce choices (Tabasco, Louisiana Brand, Crystal) can vary regionally--or even intra-regionally!

Partial to this one

http://www.amazon.com/Fitzmorriss-Orleans-Food-Revised-Edition/dp/1584798769/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394931210&sr=8-1&keywords=tom+fitzmorris+cookbook

Also abusing his website http://www.nomenu.com