Louisiana Real and Rustic

"Nowhere else have I found the passion for flavor that encompasses the lives of Louisianians, day in and day out," writes Emeril Lagasse. In Louisiana Real & Rustic, the prize winning New Orleans chef, cookbook author, and television cooking personality presents the great dishes of his adopted state in 150 down-home recipes--authentic versions of some of Americas favorite regional dishes, gathered from generations of Louisiana cooks. Fricassees, itouffies and grillades, meat pies and oyster fries, red beans and rice, and jambalayas and gumbos in endless, mouthwatering variety--each recipe is spiced with the unabashed joy of cooking and eating that makes every Louisiana meal a feast.

On a delicious tour of back roads and bayous, from country cabins in Acadia to the refined town houses of Creole aristocracy, Emeril, accompanied by co-author Marcelle Bienvenu, finds that Louisiana is more than a geographical state--it's a culinary state of grace.

Louisiana's colorful history has made it an extraordinary culinary crossroads, where the cooking customs of France, Spain, Africa, and the Caribbean meld into a unique New World Cuisine. In charming tales and tempting recipes, Emeril traces the roots of Creole and Acadian (or "Cajun") dishes, and honors the pioneer cooks who blended traditional tastes and techniques with the region's native ingredients. He shows how gumbos can use French roux, African okra, or fili from the indigenous Indians and he features Chicken and Oyster, Duck and Wild Mushroom, Shrimp and Okra, and Rabbit, or even collards, kale, mustard, and turnips. Emeril's explorations reveal that the spirit of culinary improvisation still thrives today. "Nowhere else have I found the passion for flavor that encompasses the lives of Louisianians, day in and day out," writes Emeril Lagasse. In Louisiana Real & Rustic, the prize winning New Orleans chef, cookbook author, and television cooking personality presents the great dishes of his adopted state in 150 down-home recipes--authentic versions of some of Americas favorite regional dishes, gathered from generations of Louisiana cooks. Fricassees, itouffies and grillades, meat pies and oyster fries, red beans and rice, and jambalayas and gumbos in endless, mouthwatering variety--each recipe is spiced with the unabashed joy of cooking and eating that makes every Louisiana meal a feast.

On a delicious tour of back roads and bayous, from country cabins in Acadia to the refined town houses of Creole aristocracy, Emeril, accompanied by co-author Marcelle Bienvenu, finds that Louisiana is more than a geographical state--it's a culinary state of grace.

Louisiana's colorful history has made it an extraordinary culinary crossroads, where the cooking customs of France, Spain, Africa, and the Caribbean meld into a unique New World Cuisine. In charming tales and tempting recipes, Emeril traces the roots of Creole and Acadian (or "Cajun") dishes, and honors the pioneer cooks who blended traditional tastes and techniques with the region's native ingredients. He shows how gumbos can use French roux, African okra, or fili from the indigenous Indians and he features Chicken and Oyster, Duck and Wild Mushroom, Shrimp and Okra, and Rabbit, or even collards, kale, mustard, and turnips. Emeril's explorations reveal that the spirit of culinary improvisation still thrives today.

Lagasse introduces readers to the Creole tradition with an American twist. This guide includes 175 recipes that reflect the heart of Louisiana cooking and ingredients that reflect its soul. Includes 58 photos.

Chef Emeril Lagasse, named "Best Southeast Regional Chef" in 1991 by the James Beard Foundation, introduces readers to the Creole tradition with an American twist. It includes 175 recipes that reflect the heart of Louisiana cooking and ingredients that reflect its soul. Includes 58 photos.

Emeril Lagasse is a chef, restaurateur, and author of fourteen bestselling cookbooks including Emeril's New New Orleans Cooking, which introduced his creative take on Creole cuisine, and Emeril 20-40-60: Fresh Food Fast. He is the proprietor of thirteen restaurants across the country.

As a national TV personality, he is the host of The Emeril Lagasse Show on ION Television and Emeril Green on Discovery's Planet Green. He is also the food correspondent for ABC's Good Morning America. His shows Essence of Emeril and Emeril Live can be seen on the Food Network.

In 2002, Emeril established the Emeril Lagasse Foundation to support children's education and nonprofit organizations with culinary, nutrition, garden, arts, and life-skills programs. Projects funded include an outdoor classroom, gardens, and the Edible Cafeteria and Teaching Kitchen at Edible Schoolyard New Orleans. As of November 2009, the foundation has contributed more than $3.2 million to children's causes in New Orleans, Las Vegas, and on the Gulf Coast.