- New Book: "New Orleans Cuisine: Fourteen Signature Dishes"
- Edited by NCCROW Curator of Books and Records Susan Tucker
- Posted January 23, 2009
Susan Tucker, Curator of Books and Records at the Newcomb College Center for Research on Women, is editor along with S. Frederick Starr of the new volume, New Orleans Cuisine: Fourteen Signature Dishes and their Histories (University of Mississippi Press, 2009).
Essays by contributors from the New Orleans Culinary Collective focus each essay on one signature culinary delight, providing a comprehensive look at the origins and identity of these iconic dishes. Explorations of and recipes for specialities like Creole tomato soup, bread pudding, and turtle soup, allow readers a tangible (and tasteable) sense of what it means to cook New Orleans style. The book includes biographies of famous cooks, profiles of renowned restaurants and cooking schools of the past and present, and a look at the oft-debated differences between Cajun and Creole cuisine. The effects of New Orleans ethnic diversity on its distinctive flavors is also given due attention in "New Orleans Cuisine": Tucker's book explores French, African-American, German, Italian, and Spanish influences. An accomplished synthesis of New Orleans food, culture, and history, this book will be a must have for all fans and supporters of New Orleans cooking. 
Research for this volume took place in part through comparative tastings over a multi-year period at Newcomb College Center for Research on Women sponsored by the New Orleans Culinary History Collective based at NCCROW. Pictured: The Summer 2005 "What makes a Creole tomato?" tasting in the atrium of Caroline Richardson Hall.
