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phu:

Review by phu for Real Cajun: Rustic Home Cooking from Donald Link’s Louisiana
Rating:
My sister wanted “a gumbo cookbook;” knowing a few things about Cajun/Creole cooking, I figured I could cover that one.

Visiting a bookstore, I spent a good 20 minutes reading a lot of the recipes and some of the commentary… and I was severely impressed. It makes plain the point that Cajun cooking is far from pretentious, and suggests certain types of paprika and other spices with the assurance that whatever says “paprika” in the grocery store will work fine. There’s a lot of very practical advice on basic ideas like roux (and some reasoning for using butter in some cases and oil in others), three really great gumbo recipes, a good jambalaya recipe, even tasso, a simple sausage recipe, and at least three recipes that depend on homemade boudin — for which he provides what seems to be a pretty good recipe and technique. There is cornbread.

The recipes are great, the text is very honest and… earthy… and the whole thing just exudes “this is what works, it’s not that complicated, and this is how to do it.” I bought my sister a copy for her birthday (didn’t leave myself time to wait for shipping), and after wrapping it, used the web browser in my cell phone to hit Amazon and buy myself a copy — as well as a cast iron pan, which I’ve needed for a while, and of which this book makes excellent use.

This is right up there with James Peterson’s ‘Sauces’ in terms of useful culinary references. It’s a solid, enthusiastic 5/5.

RouxBDoo:

Review by RouxBDoo for Real Cajun: Rustic Home Cooking from Donald Link’s Louisiana
Rating:
I won’t drag this out, I cook Cajun and Creole foods nearly exclusively. This book is the best in my collection. I met Chef Link in his Butcher establishment and he is quietly friendly, and non-pretentious. So is his book. The recipes are authentic and exciting at the same time. The story of making his grandmother’s gumbo, for his family, after her death is indicative of the tone and heart of this book. It is amazing. Chef, you are a culinary treasure.

RouxBDoo

Heather E. Caparoso:

Review by Heather E. Caparoso for Real Cajun: Rustic Home Cooking from Donald Link’s Louisiana
Rating:
This is a GREAT book! I find Cajun food very easy to love and not that hard to cook, (as long as you have some good cast iron to cook it on). The recipes in this book are easy to follow and mouth-watering to read about. And I find all the pork called for a refreshing change from all those recipes calling for vegetable oil. His family stories are heartwarming and bring a real truth to his food, securely rooting it in his culture, as when he relates his stories about his incredibly large German-American family. This book made me want to push everyone out of my way, and get in the kitchen and cook, Cook, COOK! Tomorrow night I will roast a chicken in the style of Donald Link, and count my blessings that I found this book.