Louisiana Cajun Seafood Cookbook

Author: Vidrine, Mercedes; Publisher: Claitors Publishing Division; Format: Spiral; A quarter century of sifting through the vast storehouse of recipes has netted the latest cookbook by Mercedes Vidrine. "Louisiana Cajun Seafood with Lagniappe Breads" should be a fine catch for the cook, cookbook collector and just about anyone with a taste for South Louisiana's legacy of simple to exquisite foods. This cookbook is dedicated to seafood which is in ample supply along the Louisiana Gulf Coast. Mercedes explains that seafood, because of its accessibility, was recognized early on by the Acadian exiles from Nova Scotia as a major food source. They mixed a native cooking skill with those of the natives and produced the Cajun cooking that has become so popular today outside of the area. This book collects recipes from area Cajun families - some handed down for generations - into a step-by-step style that should make preparation easy. Cooking methods include everything from outdoor open fire, the traditional black iron pot, to microwave. As an added lagniappe, the recipes are accompanied by illustrations by Opelousas artist J.A. Allen. Allen's illustrations depict everyday life of the early Cajuns.