Cajun Cuisine: Authentic Cajun Recipes from Louisiana's Bayou Country

It's hard to learn to cook Cajun food from a cookbook; the food traditions of the Cajuns of Southwest Louisiana have been passed down orally for 400 years, and only in the "Cajun Cuisine" craze of the late '80s-early '90s did Cajun cookbooks really start to become popular. These recipes are stripped down to the bare basics, because that's how Cajuns do it. Cajuns don't customarily use Emeril's Essence (remember, Emeril is from Boston) or carefully measured spices. It's a dash of this, a dash of that, until it tastes right. Don't make it too spicy; you can add your hot sauce later. You will never be able to make authentic-tasting Cajun food if you follow a recipe to a T.... that's not how it's done! You also need to learn how to modify recipes to suit your tastes... if you don't like file' powder, don't add it (many Cajun cooks don't add file' to anything, some put it on the table for you to sprinkle in yourself, some use it heavily). If you don't like okra, don't use it! Again, not all Cajun cooks do (although in response to the reviewer below, when Cajuns do use okra in gumbo, it is always sliced, and it is always slimy. Some people like it that way.) This book provides excellent framework-style recipes for you to do what you want with. If you want to add tomatoes, go ahead! No one's stopping you! If you want to pour in a half gallon of Tabasco, feel free! If that's how you like it, that's how you like it. If you want to make your roux with butter (or oil or lard or bacon grease) do it that way! It won't change anything important, the recipe will still be fine. That's the beauty of Cajun food. In response to the other reviewer who complained about a lack of pictures, the reality is that Cajun food is not as pretty as New Orleans food, and therefore doesn't make for terribly appealing photos. Gumbo looks like brownish-gray glop, but it tastes like heaven. That's just the way it is. If they'd included pictures, the sauces piquantes, the gumbos, the stews, the fricasees and the etouffees would've all looked the same, and how much would that have really helped? Plus, the drawings that are included in lieu of pictures are really adorable. Get this book, and don't be scared to experiment with it! That's what it's all about!

There is a very good reason that this book has been in print for these many years, it is sound and complete! Before it was all the rage, before TV chefs and countless others were jumping on the Cajun food bandwagon, this book was there! As a Louisiana cookbook author myself, I must admit, when all is said and done, this one has not only become the granddaddy of them all, but it is the most thorough and it's still the best HANDS DOWN! (Don't Take My Word For It, check it out!)

Cajun Cuisine is, without a doubt, the best Cajun cookbook that I've ever used. I was born and reared in Southern Louisiana, and the recipes detailed within closely mirror the exact techniques, seasonings, and spices that I had learned by watching both my grandmothers in their kitchens, and how I was personally taught by my grandfather at his hunting camp. You CANNOT go wrong with this book! Jacques

It is the most used book in my kitchen. All the recipies are simple enough for me to wow the native Cajuns. And that's saying something! It's also the easiest Cajun cookbook I've ever used. Your 5 star rating of Cajun Cuisine is much deserved.

Being a true Cajun, born and bred to cooking, I cannot stress how many times I turn to Cajun Cusine for the tried-and-tested good recipes of my ancestors. These recipes fire up the taste buds, and make my mouth sing and dance as if a zydeco band were playing loud and vibrant Cajun tunes! Look out stomach, the party begins. Laissez les bon temps rouler! These recipes are the "real" things.