Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)The first 2 reviewers appear biased against Mr. Fitzmorris as they misrepresent "Tom Fitzmorris New Orleans Food". The book itself is NOT "poorly made". It is published by Stewart, Tabori and Chang, a subsidiary of Harry N. Abrams. The book construction is solid, the format is easy to read and use.
First, let me state I have no personal connection with Mr. Fitzmorris. I am an experienced cook who grew up playing in restaurant kitchens. My grandmother ran a restaurant in New Orleans. I know the cuisine very well, have cooked it all my lifr I won one of Paul Prudhomme's cooking contests, and own his cookbooks as well.
Tom Fitzmorris 225 recipes accurately represent the everyday home and restaurant cooking of New Orleans as I have experienced it for 20 years. The seasoning of dishes is balanced and correct, not the overspicing which sears the tongues of tourists at a few not so good restaurants.
As for using Uncle Ben's rice, many excellent professional chefs have long preferred using it for certain dishes, especially jambalaya, because it is delivers predictable consistency and 'holds well'. Paul Prudhomme himself recommends using parboiled rice in many recipes in "Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen", which introduced his Cajun recipes to America. The late great Austin Leslie used Uncle Ben's rice. I don't prefer it, but if I were cooking for a large crowd, I might use it for the reasons cited. Any experienced cook knows how to substitute for taste. Another advantage about Tom Fitzmorris's recipes is that they have been tested and worked out so completely that an inexperienced cook who follows the simple instructions can expect EXCELLENT results.
I am going to be fair to Mr. Fitzmorris's New Orleans Food. If you want to cook the great cuisine of New Orleans exactly as we have enjoyed it, you probably cannot find a better collection of well-tested recipes at such a bargain price. The gumbo and other soup recipes are just right (Tom's great chicken andouille gumbo recipe is just like mine, and does NOT call for converted rice. LOL). All the beloved seafood classics are in the book, such a Trout Meuniere, Pompano en papilotte, fried catfish, shrimp and redfish entrees galore, along with a few nouvelle dishes. The Dessert recipes are truly New Orleans style and mouthwatering.
Tom's definitive recipe for Grillades and Grits is simple to prepare. It's rewarding to make grillades the night before, and reheat for a nice sunday brunch. Among Tom's best recipes are those he got from his mother Aline. (I used to listen to his radio show and would send for the recipes.) The Smothered Chicken in Brown Sauce is standout among standouts, a soul satisfying dish which used to be common in New Orleans cafes. I have made his recipe for Cajun Smothered Duck a few times as well. It's easier than many duck recipes and is terrific! Panned Veal, even Drago's Charbroiled Oyster recipe is in this wonderful treasury of TRUE New Orleans cuisine by a native who knows this cuisine to his very bones.
You can't go wrong even if this book is your ONLY NEW ORLEANS -not Cajun, which is a very different cuisine- cookbook. In fact, using Tom Fitzmorris's recipes might make your reputation as an expert New Orleans style chef.
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Tom Fitzmorris is uniquely qualified to write about the food of New Orleans. Born in the Crescent City on Mardi Gras, he'd never left his favorite town for more than three weeks at a time--that is, until Hurricane Katrina struck and Tom and his family were forced to evacuate.Prior to the disaster, Tom was just putting the finishing touches on his magnum opus: a collection of recipes for the best of New Orleans food gathered and developed over more than 30 years spent reporting eating in the Big Easy. In addition to his weekly restaurant review column, which has been published continuously for 33 years, Tom is best known for his daily 3-hour radio show, "The Food Show," broadcast every afternoon on WSMB.With New Orleans Food, Tom presents more than 250 great New Orleans recipes designed for the home cook, all steeped in the Creole and Cajun traditions, yet updated to reflect contemporary tastes and ingredients. From small plates (Shrimp Remoulade with Two Sauces) to main courses (Redfish Herbsaint, Root Beer-Glazed Ham) to desserts and drinks (Bananas Foster, Beignets, and Cafe au Lait), these are dishes both elegant and casual, traditional and evolved. Whether you are nostalgic for the taste of New Orleans or simply love good food, New Orleans Food should find a place on your cookbook shelf. Now every Monday, everywhere, can be red-beans-and-rice day.A portion of the profits from the sale of this book will benefit New Orleans recovery efforts.
