Out of the melting pot of French, Africans, and other groups who made their home in Louisiana over the centuries, there has emerged a true American original–a unique culture, cuisine, and way of life known as Cajun. Full of spice but with a touch of elegance, Cajun cooking is now spread its roots, served up across the country and abroad. From traditional boudin blanc, dirty rice, jambalaya, and bread pudding to innovative new interpretations like a Cajun Thanksgiving feast and a Creole-inflected brunch, “Cajun: A Culinary Tour of Louisiana” brings the heart of the bayou and its culinary techniques to the kitchen of the home chef. Author Judith Bluysen, owner and operator of a restaurant in Paris that specializes in the dishes of that region, leads you through making the perfect roux, extracting the most flavor with Cajun spices, and preparing seafood to best highlight its freshness. Cajun classics are included alongside inventive new dishes that draw on the rich heritage of this cuisine. Part cookbook, part cultural tour, Cajun both informs and inspires. The enticing step-by-step recipes for appetizers, main courses, desserts, and lagniappe–those additions to the meals such as sauces and breads–are paired with brief essays that explore the history of the Cajun and Creole people, the distinctive culture of New Orleans, and the author’s personal reminiscences of Louisiana. Anecdotes about the rhythms of daily life and beautiful photographs of the area’s plantations, indigenous ingredients, and inhabitants evoke all that is magical about Cajun country. A useful list of area inns and restaurants provides the basis for a trip to experience this singular culture firsthand. Let boththe new and classic meals included in “Cajun: A Culinary Tour of Louisiana” take you on a stimulating voyage through one of our country’s most spirited regions.
