Author(s): Justin Wilson
Publisher: Pelican Publishing Company
Publication Date: 1980-01
Pages: 112
Review: The man made plain, simple good food. The book is a reflection of the type of cooking we saw on his shows. His roots were Cajun, but he was not afraid to experiment and make a dish his own. If you are looking for traditional Cajun recipes, this is not the place to start, but it is a great source for some good eatin’. I don’t think any of justin wilson’s books are essential for would be cajun chefs. His books are fun and this book has some nice recipes.
Wilson’s version of cajun cooking is different from what you see on most books in the genre. I know i own more than a dozen books on cajun or creole cuisine and only wilson makes constant use of bitters, worchester sauce and sauterne wine. Those three ingredients seems to find their way into almost every savory recipe in this book even though you will see little off them in the exellent “cajun cuisine” book or paul prudommes seminal book the finest on the subject. Wilson was the first to admit he was no chef just a damn good cook and these three ingredinats provide the flavor backbone for most of his dishes.
Of course you see this in his shows with the hot sauce ever ready and always with the lea and perrins and the big bottle of wine. That’s how he approaches cajun food and most of the time the result is quite good. This is a man who became famous first for his humours stories and then he worked the cooking in.
As far as i know he has never owned a restaurant in which his food would stand the ultimate test. It is not essential as prudomme’s book is but it is a fun addition to any collection.
One nice segment of the book is the one on leftovers. The turkey hash is superb and the ham souffle. He has an idea for cold leftover mac n cheese that i did not try. You take cold mac n cheese and pour mayo over it with some paprika. Other highlights are the turnip casserole and the “i don’t know chicken”. Funny but also quite good.
Enjoy it.
………..socksHey look, I’ve haad this book for a while and love it all! Easy to use, [very] funny and light-hearted! …… is exactly what this book is worth. This was poorly written, poorly put together, and in generally bad taste. The recipes are plain recipes that anyone with a Better Homes and Gardens cookbooks can put together. The Cajun stories are dumb. They are NOT funny. Justin Wilson and his publishers should be ashamed for pushing this out onto the American cooking public.I love Justin’s easy to follow instructions for wonderful foods. His wonderful sense of humor adds an additional spice to the cooking
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