Staff Pick
Living in Portland is great, but if there's one thing that could convince me to head back to Louisiana, it's king cake — specifically from the bakeries in this book. Vibrant and welcoming, like Mardi Gras itself, this book is a must-have for your coffee table. If you can manage to order a king cake for yourself (many of these bakeries ship), allow me to highlight Don Phuong's, Haydel's, and Randazzo's. Recommended By Stacy W., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
I once ate more than 80 king cakes in a single Carnival
Author Matt Haines proudly remembers his unique dedication to the subject matter of The Big Book of King Cake, his book dedicated to the delicious Mardi Gras tradition in New Orleans. So you can imagine how appalled I was to learn that there has never been a coffee table book dedicated to king cakes
This book changes that. Featuring beautiful photography by Randy Krause Schmidt, The Big Book of King Cake tells the thousands-year-old story that led to this special tradition, and features lush photography of 75 of their favorite king cakes along with the diverse and talented bakers who make them.
Synopsis
I once ate more than 80 king cakes in a single Carnival
Author Matt Haines proudly remembers his dedication to the subject matter of The Big Book of King Cake: The Story & The Bakers Behind New Orleans' Sweetest Tradition, his book dedicated to the delicious Mardi Gras tradition in New Orleans. So you can imagine how appalled I was to learn that there has never been a coffee table book dedicated to king cakes
This book changes that and it'll give you plenty of beautiful photos of New Orleans' king cakes and bakers to enjoy all year. (As well as plenty of information you probably don't know about NOLA's favorite bake good.)
Over 300 pages stuffed with beautiful photography by Randy Krause Schmidt, The Big Book of King Cake, tells the thousands-year-old story that led to this special tradition, and features lush photography of 75 of their favorite king cakes along with the diverse and talented bakers who make them.
Unlike like most king cakes (you can't get one outside of Carnival season), you can enjoy this book year-round.
It'll be out before this 2021 holiday season and the anticipated 2022 Carnival season. The Big Book of King Cake is for anyone who loves food, history, sweets, culture, and New Orleans. It will feature so many different type of king cakes, but the frosting on the cake is how the bakers themselves have elevated it; some pay homage to the traditions while others like to break the rules.
The many different types of kings cake we have in New Orleans started to develop in a post-katrina culture boom but it was during the pandemic that gave bakers the time and space to make new and exciting versions of the nuanced baked-good. Matt, author and king cake expert, gives context to why he really wanted to get this book to readers.
"The many king cakes have become an art walk and the bakers have become the artists"
Synopsis
The Big Book of King Cake tells the thousands-year-old story that led to this special Mardi Gras tradition. It features lush photography of 75 king cakes along with recipes and stories from the diverse and talented bakers who make them.
I once ate more than 80 king cakes in a single Carnival, Matt Haines proudly remembers, demonstrating his dedication to the subject of his book that celebrates this delicious Mardi Gras tradition. So you can imagine how appalled I was to learn that there has never been a coffee table book dedicated to king cakes This book changes all that gives us plenty of beautiful photos of New Orleans king cakes to enjoy all year, as well as plenty of information we probably didn't know about NOLA's favorite baked good and their bakers.
The Big Book of King Cake is for anyone who loves food, history, sweets, culture, and New Orleans. It features many different types of king cakes, but the frosting on the cake are the stories about how the bakers themselves have elevated it; some pay homage to the traditions while others like to break the rules. Unlike like most king cakes that can't be found outside of Carnival season, readers can enjoy this book year-round
The many different types of kings cake we have in New Orleans started to develop in a post-Hurricane Katrina culture boom, but it was during the Covid pandemic that gave bakers the time and space to make new and exciting versions of the nuanced baked-good, explains king cake expert and author Matt Haines. The many king cakes have become an art walk and the bakers have become the artists.
Synopsis
"I once ate more than eighty king cakes in a single Carnival," author Matt Haines proudly remembers, demonstrating his dedication to this delicious Mardi Gras tradition. "So you can imagine how amazed I was to learn there has never been a coffee table book dedicated to king cakes "
The Big Book of King Cake changes that, telling the thousands-year-old story through lush photography of more than one hundred and fifty unique king cakes, as well as stories from the diverse and talented bakers who make them.
While king cakes are typically only available during Carnival season, readers can enjoy this book year-round. From the traditional cakes generations of New Orleanians have loved, to the unconventional creations that break all the rules, this book is your guide to the Crescent City's favorite baked good. The Big Book of King Cake is for anyone who loves food, history, sweets, culture, and of course, New Orleans.