"I don't know much bout borrowin' greenbacks from banks and such, but I know a pot full bout borrowin' happiness from this sad ol' world," Myrtle declared, her voice straining with her back as she bent to check a skillet of cornbread in the oven. "There jist isn't enough to go round anymore. And when a woman can snatch a few good years outta Father Time's hip pocket...why, yessiree...she can count herself luckier than most." So declares one of Paul Raphael’s many vivid characters illustrating and enlightening this one-of-a-kind storybook of recipes.
Whether it’s the French Quarter or the swamps and bayous of his native state, the author employs them as the stage for his humorous, romantic or reflective narratives, entertaining the reader while lending sensuous depth to the Cajun dishes he describes. Even the photos seem edible, the recipes coming alive in their colorful depictions.
An epic adventure, this volume 1 of the coming series, Cajun Cuisine and More, serves as sumptuous hors d'oeuvres for the feast which follows. Value it as a treasure-trove of time-tested Cajun recipes, or adore it for its bumbling, lovable, all-too-human characters; either, or both, make this a must-have for family and friends, a gift to be remembered by its frequent use.
