Best of Cajun and Creole Cooking

I flipped through this book and found many of the recipes very strange because as a born and raised local New Orleanian, most of the recipes have nothing to do with Creole or Cajun cooking. Then I read about the author on the back sleeve... she lives in Surrey, England. Well that explains it. This wasn't expensive, but I wouldn't take this book for free. Donation bin.

If you are going to have only one cookbook on your shelf to help you navigate the wonderful world of Cajun and Creole cooking, this is the one to have. The book is both economically laid out and lavishly illustrated. As you leaf through the pages, you begin to appreciate the differences between these two styles of cooking and the rich cultural amalgam that produces both. The recipes can be either simple, such as the andouille and lima bean supper, which as the name suggests is sautéed sausage and lima beans; or more elaborate, such as duck breasts with orange and rum, a Creole version of duck l'orange. Alex Barker's book takes you from start to finish with tantalizing soups and appetizers to sweet and unusual desserts. Each stop along the way demonstrates the African, South American, and European influences that found their way to Louisiana and surrounding areas centuries ago. As you consider these recipes, you can easily gain insight into the basics of Cajun and Creole cooking, allowing fairly easy substitutions depending on your access to the ingredients in the recipe. After all, Cajun and Creole cooking is based upon availability, so why stop that tradition now? And no, there isn't Tabasco in every recipe. You should, however, always have a bottle close by.