Dixie Poché Livres

Cajun Country establishments offer a delectable variety of table fare for tourists and residents alike. The region's first restaurants, cafés and bakeries emerged in the 1880s. Stores like T-Jim's and Teet's Food supplied locals with boudin. Café Vermilionville served patrons crawfish beignets. And faithful Bellina's Grocery shoppers looked forward to placing ham orders for red beans and rice on Mondays. Join author Dixie Poché as she shares the stories and recipes behind French Louisiana's pioneering eateries and those still making culinary history today.

"Louisiana is famous for its culinary delights, and the state's rich medley of treats and confections proves its sweet tooth. Creative bakers improvised traditional recipes during days of rationing to create gateau de sirop (syrup cake) and bread pudding. Early customers of Lea's Lunchroom's pies in central Louisiana included outlaws Bonnie and Clyde, who dropped by while they were on the run. During the 1950s, singers Hank Williams Sr. and Elvis Presley hung out at Shreveport's Southern Maid Donuts after performing at the popular Louisiana Hayride country music broadcast. Author Dixie Poche dives into the recipes and history behind such beloved regional specialties as Mardi Gras king cake, flaming Bananas Foster, Cajun Country's pain perdu and many more."--Publisher's description.

"Southwest Louisiana is famous for time-honored gatherings that celebrate its French Acadian heritage. And the culinary star of these gatherings? That's generally the pig. Whether it's a boucherie, the Cochon de Lait in Mansura or Chef John Folse's Fete des Bouchers, where an army of chefs steps back three hundred years to demonstrate how to make blood boudin and smoked sausage, ever-resourceful Cajuns use virtually every part of the pig in various savory delights. The author traverses Cajun country to dive in to the recipes and stories behind regional specialties such as boudin, cracklings, gumbo and hogs head cheese. From the Smoked Meats Festival in Ville Platte to Thibodaux's Bourgeois Meat Market, where miles of boudin have been produced since 1891, this is a mouthwatering dive into Cajun devotion to the pig."--Back cover.