Louisiana Real and Rustic

by Emeril Lagasse, Steven Freeman (Photographer)

Overview

"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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780688127213
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	09/05/1996
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	7.20(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Emeril Lagasse is a chef, restaurateur, and the author of eighteen bestselling cookbooks, including the recent Emeril's Kicked-Up Sandwiches and Sizzling Skillets and Other One Pot Wonders. He is the proprietor of thirteen award-winning restaurants across the country and is the host of The Originals with Emeril and Emeril's Florida, both airing on the Cooking Channel. He has been the food correspondent for ABC's Good Morning America for fourteen years. In 2002, Emeril established the Emeril Lagasse Foundation to support children's educational programs that inspire and mentor young people through the culinary arts and promote nutrition and healthy eating.

Hometown:

New Orleans, Louisiana

Date of Birth:

October 15, 1959

Place of Birth:

Fall River, Massachusetts

Education:

Culinary degree, Johnson & Wales University

Website:

http://www.emerils.com

Read an Excerpt

Rustic Rub

2 cups

The secret to Louisiana cuisine is in the seasonings we use. They are the heart and soul of our cuisine. We always judge someone's ability to cook by what his or her food tastes like, not what it looks like. Every Louisiana kitchen, be it Mama's or the local butcher shop's, is stocked with a personal spice blend. Many of the recipes in this book include some of this spice mix. The recipe can be doubled or tripled. This seasoning mix is similar to the one in my first book. I like this version for a real and rustic taste.

8 tablespoons paprika
3 tablespoons cayenne
5 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons onion powder
6 tablespoons salt
2 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 1/2 tablespoons dried thyme

1. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Blend well.

2. Can be stored in an airtight container in your spice cabinet for up to 3 months.

---

Ducks with Fig Glaze

8 servings

The sweetness of preserved figs and the richness of duck make this a special Sunday dinner, it's ideal for a holiday dinner, too.

Fig Glaze

1 cup Fig Preserves
1/2 cup Water
3 tablespoons Steen's 100% Pure Cane Syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and process until coarsely pureed. Set aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 450 F.

Ducks

2 domestic ducklings (about 5 pounds each)
2 tablespoonsRustic Rub
4 Granny Smith apples, cored and quartered
6 ribs celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
8 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil.

4. Season the ducks with the rub. Toss the apples, celery, and garlic with the salt and pepper in a mixing bowl to coat evenly. Stuff the cavities of the ducks with the apple mixture. Place the ducks on a rack in the roasting pan and roast for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven.

5. Using a pastry brush, coat the ducks evenly with the fig glaze. Reduce the heat to 350'F. and roast for about 45 minutes, or until the drumsticks are easy to move. Remove from oven; let rest IS minutes.

6. To serve, cut the duck into quarters.

Interviews

Q:  Which cities (other than New Orleans) do you consider to be the best food towns in America?

A:  There are a lot of great food towns in America. In the last 10-15 years, with the addition of farmers and farm cooperatives, market places have become more consistent with quality products. But some of my favorite food cities are New York, San Francisco, Miami, and Chicago.

Q:  What types of books do you enjoy reading in your spare time?

A:  Adventure, fiction, and educational books that apply to business.

Q:  What's the most bizarre dish you were requested to make? Did you make it?

A:  I haven't really experienced any bizarre requests, but I'm not sure what you consider bizarre. I think of rattlesnake sausage as bizarre, but then maybe someone may consider what I cook as bizarre. If it doesn't make sense, I'm not going to prepare it.

Q:  Who do you think is the most important historical figure of the 20th century and why?

A:  In my world, Julia Child is the most important figure. She is a legend because she began classic cuisine in America with her cooking and cooking shows.

Q:  What does your typical breakfast consist of?

A:  Coffee, coffee, and coffee.

Q:  Do you look forward more to Jazz Fest or Mardi Gras?

A:  They are both great but are completely different venues.

Q:  What do you personally consider the most important day of the year?

A:  Christmas.

Q:  What is your favorite movie, and have you recently seen anything that you would strongly recommend?

A:  "Walking Tall Part 1." And I hear "Walking Tall Part 2" is looking good. Also, I hear there's a new movie called "Star Wars."

Editorial Reviews

In this exuberant and entertaining book -- his second bestseller -- Emeril takes the reader on a journey to the heart of Cajun cuisine. Louisiana Real and Rustic is packed with recipes both traditional and contemporary, from Crawfish Bisque to Chicken-Andouille Hash, from Shrimp and Ham Jambalaya to Praline Cream Pie.

bn.com

The national appetite for New Orleans cooking continues to expand. Cable television personality Lagasse's latest offering teams him with Marcelle Bienvenu to explore the origins of contemporary Louisiana Creole cuisine in its predecessor, Cajun cooking. What results is a sort of southern Louisiana church-group cookbook filtered through Lagasse's haute cuisine training. The recipes determinedly focus on simple country cooking, but they assume that the ingredients readily at hand are those of the bayous. Reproducing these recipes in remoter parts of the nation may not be so simple. Lagasse's exposure as a television personality is sure to create plenty of demand for his newest volume.

Mark Knoblauch