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I am not very pleased with this cookbook - many of the recipes are in huge quantities, much larger than the average person would prepare for a family dinner. The recipes are by restaurants rather than in any particular order - I would have preferred the recipes to be listed by type with the name of the restaurant on the applicable page. Also, some of the ingredients are difficult to find locally so would have to be ordered online. If I had known all this to begin with I would not have purchased the book.

I love cookbooks like this, where the reader gets a sampler of different recipes from different restaurants. Alton Brown's Asphalt book is fun; so, too, are Guy Fieri's books on delis, diners, and dives. Here, the focus is on Louisiana restaurants and some typical recipes from each. The book is ordered by geographic area: New Orleans Metro, North Shore, Plantation Country, Cajun Country, Crossroads, and Sportsman's Paradise.

It's fun just to skim this book and explore different recipes. For instance, New Orleans Metro. There has to be a recipe from K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen. What about Chicken and Andouille Smoked Sausage Gumbo? Ingredients: chicken, Paul Proudhomme's Meat Magic, onions, green bell papers, celery, flour, vegetable oil, chicken stock, andouille sausage, minced garlic, and hot cooked rice. And, of course, Emeril Lagasse's restaurants have some featured recipes--such as Cedar Plank Fish with Citrus Horseradish Crust (NOLA), Veal Marcelle (Delmonico), and Banana Cream Pie with Caramel Drizzles and Chocolate Sauce (Emeril's). Pork tenderloin dishes are sometimes tricky, given the nature of the meat. But there is what appears to be a neat recipe from Ralph Brennan's BACCO, Rosemary and Garlic Marinated Pork Tenderloin.

Recipes from other regions? One of my colleagues cooks up classic food for a Mardi gras party. This is where I came to enjoy Alligator and crawfish. A North Shore restaurant, Trey Yuen, has one recipe for each: Szechuan Spicy Alligator, Crawfish with Spicy Lobster Sauce.

From Plantation Country, Primo's and its Veal Primo. There is a lot going on here! The veal itself (cooked in butter, with crabmeat, lemon juice, pepper, and Gruyere cheese. Then a sauce featuring peppercorns, brandy, and pate de fois gras. Two other sauces--Meuniere sauce and Hollandaise sauce. I'm never likely to prepare and eat this (too rich!) but, boy, does it look delicious as I read the recipe! Then, from Cajun Country, Crawfish Casserole from the Harbor Seafood Restaurant. Finally, from Sportsman's Paradise (northern Louisiana--I actually learned some geography from this book). The example here, The Brandy House Restaurant's dish, Bayou stir-fry.

Anyhow, this book is a lot of fun--for its recipes, for learning a bit about some apparently excellent restaurants, and a little bit about Louisiana.

I love, love, love this cookbook. There are recipes from some of my favorite restaurants. There is a great selection of all kinds of foods. I love the dessert section. I love that this book includes recipes from all over Louisiana. I can't wait to try every single one of them.

I have collected alot of cookbooks in my days. But this one has to be on of the best yet. Really good recipes.

I love this book. I collect recipe books and this one is pretty great.

Bought this book for a gift. Original book puchased locally for myself. Have made several recipes and they have turned out just like the restaurants I've eaten in. My family thinks I'm a great cook. If you love Louisiana cooking,then this is a great recipe book to own.

Authentic recipes.

Who dat nation! Who dat? Who dat? With the New Orleans Saints heading to Miami for their first ever presence in the Super Bowl, a cookbook headlining--what else?--Louisiana cuisine is definitely a must!

So! What will native Louisianians have on the buffet for Super Bowl munching? The dish you see on the cover is Seafood Gumbo, of which there are two varieties. This one is the juicy one (my preference) and comes from a Natchitoches restaurant, Mariner's Seafood and Steak House, famous all over Louisiana. Natchitoches, you ask? It is located just above the central part of the state and is Louisiana's oldest permanent settlement. By the French, if you know anything about Louisiana history. They're why we are the only state with parishes instead of counties. Ah, how astute of you. "Natchitoches" does not sound French. That's because it is an Indian word. This area is also historically important for a whole population of free "people of color," both full-blooded African descendants and mixed race French and African.

But I digress. Back to Who dat nation of food! A seafood gumbo will be a great dining meal, if you are so inclined. This juicy version is a great way to go. The other gumbo is based on a much darker roux and is stiffer (not too dry, not too juicy, but just right). An example is Chicken and Andouille Smoked Sausage Gumbo from K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen in New Orleans. Mind you, this gumbo has sopping juice, of course. That's why you need French bread straight from the oven, buttered, or buttered and sprinkled with garlic of some form. The recipe indicates six main servings or 10 appetizer servings, so buffet still works.

How will I find what I want to prepare? The recipes are arranged by region: New Orleans Metro, North Shore (NO), Plantation Country (between NO and Baton Rouge), Cajun Country (across South Louisiana), Crossroads (the middle section), and Sportsman Paradise (all across North Louisiana, my region). We are not French up here, but, like you, we love Cajun-influenced cuisine.

Some recipes from North Louisiana: Bayou Stir Fry from the Brandy House Restaurant in Monroe. This is the first time I've ever seen such a dish, but MUST share it with you. The main ingredients are cubed chicken and alligator (I suppose you could use all chicken if you have no alligators--ha!), mirliton, turnip greens, hoisin sauce, cane syrup, cornstarch slurry, and served over pecan rice then sprinkled with spiced pecans.

Chianti Restaurant in Shreveport, where I have dined many times, offers its Scaloppini de Vitello Alle Noci e More (Veal Scaloppini with Nuts and Berries--specifically blackberries and roasted slivered almonds. The recipe includes mushrooms and heavy cream to give a hint of the taste sensation. No, I won't prepare this for the Super Bowl, but will at a later date. It is one of those extraordinary dishes you will come back to on special occasions (to keep the taste special).

Follette Pottery in Ruston offers its Crawfish Dip. The Glenwood Village Tearoom, another must-go-to Shreveport restaurant, provides its recipe fro Mandarin Chicken and Almond Tea Finger Sandwiches, which I will prepare for the Who Dat Nation Bowl game. Another item I will prepare is this recipe from Mr. Lester's Steakhouse in Cajun Country (Charenton, La.). It is Acadiana Creamy Crab Cakes. Yum.

How about Bar-B-Que Shrimp, a great stand-by, from Flanagan's in Thibodaux, the heart of Cajun Country. This is served over toasted French bread slices. Add Mandy's Cheese-Stuffed Mushrooms from Nottoway Plantation, one of the many plantations on the Plantation Trail between BR and NO. Another item to offer is Pot Stickers from Trey Yuen, or Cuisine of China in Hammond (Cajun Country). Wait a minute, you're saying. That's not Cajun. Exactly. Remember the American Dream? Yep, great snacker!

Oh, yay! Here's a recipe for Shrimp Remoulade from the world-famous Galatoire's in New Orleans. A must! This is a green-based appetizer with green onions, celery, parsley all put into the food processor with horseradish, worcestershire sauce, and paprika for flavor. Boiled shrimp come with it. Another must!!

Of course, what else? For dessert Mr. B's Bread Pudding with Irish Whiskey Sauce from Mr. B's Bistro in New Orleans. Or Classic Creme Brulee from La Parvenu in New Orleans. Make way ahead, of course.

To find certain recipes, go to the index, one of the easiest I've ever used. The 262 recipes are arranged individually (Seafood gumbo) and grouped by dish (example: gumbo), making it so easy to find a particular dish.

Who Dat Nation. I'll win with food. Go Saints! Your job is to win the Super Bowl XLIV!