With summer harvests of vine-ripened tomatoes and cucumbers appearing in the markets, now is a good time to begin stocking the pantry for the months ahead. This elegant volume of recipes by chef Kevin Graham promises a larder of intense marinades, hearty sauces, spicy rubs and delicious relishes in the Creole tradition of his native New Orleans.
Unlike Louisiana's Cajun cuisine, which is simple and hearty, Creole cookery is still close to its roots in haute cuisine, both complex and sophisticated. Early French settlers to the region adapted their recipes to the local meats and produce, converting their Lobster Bisque to Crawfish Bisque and substituting horseradish for mayonnaise in their cocktail sauce.
Creole Flavors includes 70 recipes for cures, rubs, marinades, sauces, condiments, oils, vinegars, dressings, relishes and stocks as well as some classic Creole recipes in which to use them, such as Jambalaya, Seafood Gumbo and Pralines. Fully indexed and illustrated with evocative photos by Zeva Oelbaum.