Who's Your Mama, Are You Catholic and Can You Make a Roux: A Family Album Cookbook

Rating:
Summary: My thoughts
Review: A great title and great unofficial advertising on Emeril Live. But it could have been much more diverse. I relize that was not the point of the book. But there had to be some recipes that people comonly made but were not creole. I guess I would have liked one or two exotic recipes.

Rating:
Summary: Why Haven't You Bought This Book?
Review: Although I wasn't raised in Lousiana, I love the food, and I love this book. The home recipes and the family memoirs are too good to put down, in the kitchen or the easy chair. If you only buy one cajun cookbook, buy this one.

Rating:
Summary: The real deal
Review: My mamma's a Crochet, I am Catholic and my husband and I can each make a roux. I, also, am Cajun, know Marcelle and can attest to the authenticity of the recipes and accompanying stories. Many try to capitalize on the Cajun food craze, but few are the real deal. The only thing better than the recipes in Marcelle's book is enjoying them with she and her husband over dinner from their kitchen.

Rating:
Summary: The real deal
Review: Unless you live in Louisiana you've probably discovered Marcelle Bienvenu by watching Food TV's "Emeril Live." When it comes to cajun/creole food, she's the real deal. Who's Your Mama... is an excellent seasonal based regional cookbook. It's also a warm, charming memoir of life in a large family in Southern Louisiana. Bienvenu brings serious credentials to the table. In addition to this book and several others co-authored with celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse, she writes a food column for the New Orleans Times-Picayune and is a former restaurant owner. The cookbook contains a wealth of cajun classics. In addition, the memoir of times and events and their ties to food in the kitchen may well remind you of Marcel Pagnol's novels of life in Provence or Laurie Colwin's delicious essays on food and eating. A delightful book.

Rating:
Summary: Everything I've tried has been GREAT!
Review: Unlike other cookbooks in this genre, Marcelle Bienvenu does not bow to any trends, heat spicings to absurd extremes or present a faux version of what Louisiana cooking is all about. Bienvenu presents recipes for foods that she loves and grew up on, with wonderful stories that genuinely enhance your enjoyment of the food.

Rather than pontificate about this wonderful collection of recipes, I would simply urge you to just buy this book, invite friends over for breakfast, and make her recipe for baked grits. I promise, you will never look at grits the same way again!