Cajun Cuisine: Authentic Cajun Recipes from Louisiana's Bayou Country
The magic and mystique behind Lousiana's Cajun (or Acadian)  cuisine are completely revealed in this collection of recipes from the  heart of Cajun Country: the bayous of southern Lousiana. In her  introduction toCajun Cuisine, third-generation Acadian Marie  Louise Comeaux Manuel writes, "Acadian (Cajun) Cuisine is a recipe  in itself. For ingredients, take the classical French cuisine, combine  it with Spanish classical cuisine, blend well, take herbs and spices  from France and Spain and sometimes couple with seasoning learned from  the Choctaws and Chickasaws. Then be sure to add the ingenuity, the  creativity and the keen taste of the refugee Acadians.... Now, add the  exotic taste and magic seasoning of the African cook. Voila! This is  Acadian cuisine."The differences between Cajun and Creole  cuisines are explained (the Creole cuisine of New Orleans is fattier  and more highly seasoned), then the home cook is treated to more than  200 recipes, from breakfast to dessert, designed to bring forth the  bayou.Favorites such as fried okra and Maque Choux are represented, as well  as 11 different gumbos (even one with squirrel!) and seven recipes for  Jambalaya. There's a recipe for  Alligator Stew, plus two ways to  prepare frog legs, and the book closes with a generous dessert section,  which naturally includes Pecan Pralines and Tarte á la Bouillie,  a classic Cajun custard pie. The recipes are simple and straightforward  and have clearly been tested in homes for the past couple of centuries--no processors or microwaves need apply; all you need is a sharp knife  and a big iron pan. Put some Zydeco music on the stereo, fry up some  oysters, and let the good times roll!