The Picayune's Creole Cook Book & Historical Cooking

In my last post I mentioned The Picayune's Creole Cook Book. For anyone interested in the cuisine of New Orleans, or if you just love cookbooks, this is a great fun read. I have a 1987 reprint addition that is edited and compilated by Marcelle Bienvenu, the original was published in 1901. The recipes are left as is, with measurements such as one half-gill or a wineglassful, and Marcelle's comments and suggestions in a sidebar. You can really get an understanding of the evolution of Creole Cuisine when reading this book. You can also see how Cajun & Creole, like it or not, have fused together in certain areas over the years. The recipes are stripped versions of the ones we know today. I love to read this book for the same reason I love to read Carolyn's 18th Century Cuisine, if you haven't checked her out yet, do so. She does everything in the old world way and it's fascinating. I love to see how recipes have evolved, and our cooking techniques and equipment have advanced. I also believe that with some of those advances, our food quality has declined; meaning processed foods. Its fascinating to think about a cook having to tend a wood fire, to maintain an even cooking heat. I've tried it on my wood burning stove/fireplace, it's definately not easy. Yet with our modern conveniences and gadgets, the only cooking most people do is throw a plastic container in the microwave, whose contents I wouldn't be able to spell, let alone pronounce. If you like historical cooking, and just learning about how to really make things from scratch, check out the above cookbook and website.