“With Chef Louis Evans looking over your shoulder, so to speak, you may well be delighted at how good a cook you can be . . . and gratified at how good a cook you are regarded by friends and family.”
—Mel Leavitt
The city of New Orleans has produced some of the finest chefs in the world. The only American city to boast its own distinct cuisine, it has spread the Creole word through the hands of master chefs—and Louis Evans was one of the best.
Executive Chef of the Caribbean Room at the famous Pontchartrain Hotel for 18 years, and former Chef at the popular Kabby’s restaurant at the New Orleans Hilton, Evans served what some believe to have been the best Creole dishes in New Orleans for over 20 years. His years of expertise have been drawn upon here to present Evans’ own collection of recipes—no secrets withheld or details left out. As Evans says in his book, “Good, tested recipes will work for you. And you don’t have to be a master chef to pull them off.” Evans cooked traditional Creole food with a roux (the base of all Creole soups and sauces), but to suit the current taste, he lightened the roux a bit.
Included are some of Chef Evans’ finest creations: Oyster and Artichoke Soup, Chicken in Champagne Sauce, Crawfish Etouffé, Grits Soufflé, Crabmeat au Gratin, Red Snapper with Crawfish Sauce, Veal Grillades a la Creole, the famous Mile-High Ice Cream Pie, and many more. There are more than 360 recipes, and each is sure to tingle the taste buds of any lover of Creole cuisine. All categories are covered: appetizers, salads and vegetables, soups, meats, seafood, poultry and game, sauces and dressings, and desserts, and most are easy to prepare with commonly found ingredients.