[.ca] Chef Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen (ISBN 0688028470)

From Amazon.com:
There was once a time when words like étouffée, tasso, and jambalaya were hardly known outside of the Cajun and Creole communities of Louisiana. Then along came Chef Paul Prudhomme, and all of that changed. Big enough to be his own force of nature, Prudhomme all but single-handedly turned Cajun cooking into a national food trend, changing forever the way many a cook thinks about spicing food. And Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen was the book that made it happen. But guess what? It's still happening, and so is the book! Anyone looking for a primer on Cajun cooking need look no farther. Chef Paul takes the reader by the hand and opens up a world that includes four kinds of roux, Jalapeno and Cheese Rolls, Shrimp Étouffée, and the to-die-for Cajun Meatloaf. Good old-fashioned Red Beans and Rice and Sweet Potato Pecan Pie are not forgotten either. Chef Paul tested all of his recipes in a home kitchen using common culinary tools--no professional equipment needed here. These are recipes that are high in spice, so remember to have a large vat of water on hand! --Schuyler Ingle

The Bible of Cajun/Creole Cooking:
I am a chef, and this book is the Bible of Creole/Cajun, or as it's now called Southern Louisiana cooking. Wonderful book, now in about it's 80th pringing! I use it all the time. I truly consider this book one of the best cookbooks ever from the USA. It ranks up there with "The Joy of Cooking" and "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" as classics, or standards that all serious cooks need to have in their library. Many people think that New Orleans has the best food in America, and Paul is without a doubt one of the (if not the) best New Orleans cooks. If you want to explore one of the only true American cuisines, this book is a must. As a hint for those worried about the 'heat' levels in some of these foods (and the food of New Orleans is not as hot as many think), do what professional chef's do: Simply start with 1/4 or 1/2 the amount of 'hot' ingredients when you make a recipe. You can always add more heat if you want it, but you can't take it out!

I Love This Book:
This is the single best Cookbook I have ever bought. Not only are the recipees great but the writing style is clear and the instructions are easy to follow. Pruhomme explains exactly what to do, how and why. This is the first book I have had where I have been actually able to follow the recipees. The Chicken Etoufee Recipee alone is worth every penny I paid for this book (I love that stuff). Also on the favorites list: Chicken Curry, Chicken and Aduoille Gumbo, Cajun Meat Loaf, Cajun Roast Beef, Brabant Patatoes, Extra Hot Sauce For Beef and lets not forget the Spiced Pare Gravy (which I Always make with roast turkey or chicken). The Spiced Pare Gravy never fails to impress people. A Note for those who don't like salt. In all the recipees I use about half the salt the book says to (since I have never liked salty food). Also I always substitute Scalions for Onion (I only use the bottom (white and light green part) half of the scallion though) since my wife hates onions but doesn't mind green onions. The recipees always work though and always taste great. If you like Spicy, flavourfull food then buy it. You wont regret it.

THE best cookbook I've ever read:
I've owned this cookbook for about five years, and still haven't made anything out of it that wasn't delicious. It's loaded with wonderful recipes and explanations of techniques that will help you become a better cook. This book is good for a beginner or an advanced cook. There are some simpler recipes (for example, the Cajun Meatloaf) that are good starting points for someone who is just starting out....they still taste wonderful. I didn't know much about cooking when I started using this book, and quickly figured out what I was doing and the results were better than I could imagine. The recipes do require several spices (but aren't too spicy), but once you make a few of the dishes, you'll have everything you need in your spice rack... Some prep work is involved, but no more than you'd find in any other cookbook. Once you start cooking, you'll find that the results are well worth the time. I just took my first trip to New Orleans and was almost disappointed with some of the food because the recipes Chef Paul shares with you are better than almost anything you can find in the French Quarter.

Let the good times roll.:
I was given this book as birthday present, and I had cooked a number of cajun recipes on the box from store bought products, like Zatarain's. This book takes you to a whole new level. This is for those cooks that love to try their hand at Cajun and Creole. My famliy, my wife, kids, parents, and siblings have had some of the recipes and love them. Like Chinese cooking many preparation steps are involved, along with phases for each dish, yet its worth it. Cajun is all about the spices and blending not the heat. I now can make dirty rice from scratch, its great. Can't wait to cook the cajun meatloaf with the cajun hot sauce as the complement. As in Louisiana, have fun and let the good times roll.

CAJUN CUISINE SUPREME:
THE textbook on how to cook Cajun at home. I lived in Louisiana and I've cooked many of his recipes. This book will produce the most authentic food. Be willing to spend some time on these dishes and the end result will be beyond belief.