Cooking Up A Storm, by Marcelle Bienvenu and Judy Walker, showcases the food of New Orleans. Readers, saddened by the loss of their favorite recipes due to Hurricane Katrina, wrote to the newspaper, Times Picayune of New Orleans, asking other readers to fill in the voids in their collections. The food exchange eventually became a cookbook, supplemented with recipes the newspaper was able to cull from their own archives. This town in ruins managed to preserve its cultural heritage through food.
Soups, Gumbos & Chowders
Those who are not from the region will find this one-pot chapter most familiar. However, there's a lot more to it than gumbo. Bacon and Corn Chowder, Greek-Style Vegetable and Pasta Soup, and Masson's Oyster and Artichoke Soup are all creative dishes well worth cooking.
Seafood Recipes
As one might expect, there are plenty of crawfish recipes included in Cooking Up a Storm. Some of the surprises include Shrimp Burgers, Crab Chops and Elmwood Oysters Mosea. For seafood lovers, this chapter alone is enough reason to buy the book.
Summary
Reading how this book came about makes a cook realize the significance of food in its ability to bring people together. Yes, the recipes are delicious, and they are classic representations of the region (as well as some not so well known). But a reader is brought a little bit into the state of mind of the survivors of Hurricane Katrina and their commonality as residents of a beautiful region pulling together through its suffering. A lot to ask of a cookbook, but it's successfully accomplished.
Title: Cooking Up A Storm
Authors: Marcelle Bienvenu and Judy Walker
Publisher: Chronicle Books, 2008, 400 pps., $24.95
ISBN: 978-0-8118-6577-7
Recipe Excerpt:
Cabbage Casserole
"Quick and easy, this casserole can accompany beef, chicken, or pork. It's a good dish to serve on New Year's Day, when cabbage traditionally is eaten in the South, so you will have something green - money - in your pocket during the coming year."
4 Servings
Ingredients:
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 small head cabbage, cored and coarsely chopped
- Salt
- Cayenne pepper
- Black pepper
- Bread crumbs for sprinkling
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8-by-10-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large heavy pot, brown the ground beef over medium heat. Add the sugar, allspice, and cabbage. Season to taste with the salt, cayenne and black pepper and stir to mix. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender, about 15 minutes.
- Pour the mixture into the casserole dish, and sprinkle the bread crumbs on the top. Bake for 20 minutes, or just until bubbly around the edges. Serve warm.
More Great Cookbooks:
Real Stew
All Cakes Considered (from All Things Considered)
Crazy For Crab
Trevy Thomas - After more than a decade of food writing, Trevy Thomas joined Suite 101 as Feature Writer for the Home Décor and Cookbooks ...
