Louisiana Books

The four books we ordered are faithful reproductions of the original published many years ago.

I first bought this cookbook over 27 years ago during a trip through Louisiana after I first got married and it is the most worn cookbook in my extensive collection. It absolutely is one of the best cookbooks I have ever used!

Lots of truly tasty traditional Louisiana recipes. All recipes are simple enough for the complete novice to serve up food like a pro. I've used this book for years and have never been disappointed in any recipe.

I am from the South. Cooking is a hobby and I collect cookbooks. I have had this book for about 30 years. In my opinion, this is the best all around Southern cookbook you can buy. In addition, it contains the best Creole recipes.

When I look through a cookbook, the first thing I check is that the ingredients are correct. It is amazing how wrong some can be. This cook book sets the standard.

There are about 3 later editions of this book which are good, but they do not compare to this, the original.

You will be more successful if you can try an authentic Creole dish before you try to make one yourself. That way you will know what you are aiming for.

I always go here first when I'm looking for something new, and many of our family's favorite recipes are in this book. I've given countless copies as gifts, which are always appreciated once the recipients start trying out the recipes. We discovered this treasure when my sister went to LSU years ago (we lived in Connecticut at the time), and have been grateful ever since. We also use all of the subsequent River Road editions.

Through My Eyes is one of the best books I have ever read to my children. As an African American, it is extremely important to me that my children know their history. The story about Ruby Bridges helps children (and adults) to understand that no matter what obstacles are placed before them in life, failure only happens when you give up and accept defeat. In other words, what someone else thinks of you is not necessarily how you should define yourself! I encourage everyone to read this book to their children.

This book is fantastic and I bought it for my students. The problem is she uses the N word so much. I had to comb through the book and ink out the word. I do not want children using that word to each other, and yes my students ARE BLACK, and especially don't want my white student learning he can say the word too. Then again it seems very immature that 1 can use the N word and the other cannot. It's a word that nobody should be using. Bridges could've just said "the whites shouted angry slurs" kids, of all colors, will pick up on what those words are through inappropriate means. Otherwise, I would still recommend to buy this book at is a wonderful book and has plenty of history and information.

I really loved this book, it has a lot of pics and information about the time everything happened. This girl is such an example for everyone...

I chose this book from my summer reading list because I have a special interest in the Civil Rights Movement. I learned about Ruby Bridges during African American Month at school and got really interested in her story. I liked this book a lot because it taught me about integration and segration in a way that was easy to understand. The photographs brought the story to life, and I liked the way the story was told from Ruby's point of view. I would really recommend this book to kids my age (third grade) and older who are interested in this kind of book. My parents really liked the book too!

Sophie K.

This inspirational story, told by Ruby Bridges herself, can help children understand some of the struggles of African-Americans during the 1960's. Ruby's courageousness and determination is the message young readers are presented with. The real-life photos give readers a visual account of the hard times that Ruby and other African-Americans endured. Also included in this autobiography are quotes from many of the people that Ruby encountered in her life including her mother, her first grade teacher, Barbara Henry, and her childhood psychologist, Robert Cole. A quote from a 1963 speech by Martin Luther King is included which further supports the civil rights theme in this book. Excerpts from text such as The New York Times and Good Housekeeping gives readers even more factual information about the time period. The book includes photo credits as well as text credits with copyrights to ensure the reliability. This text can be used with children in grades five through eight studying the civil rights movement or school integration in the 1960's.

Origional New Orleans recipes! Easy to work with and helpful hints for substuting what you have on hand. How to make the special seasonings that make Cajun/Creole food unique! Spicey does not necessarily mean, hot! Great history of the different folks and festivals that make New Orleans special. Great place to visit and taste the food for yourself. Or buy the cookbook and cook it for yourself.

I've got the Eighth, July 1980 printing. On page 40, The Collins' indicate that the Oyster & Sausage Jambalaya is their favorite. Use the cast iron for preparation, follow the directions explicitly (You'll use a little "elbow grease" on this one), and you won't be disappointed. It's my favorite Jambalaya, too !

10 years I lived on the Gulf Coast and spent
many, many days in New Orleans. When the time came I knew I was eventually going to leave, I spent months searching for a book which would allow me to take the food I loved with me. This is the book I chose & have loved it for years!!!!!!!!!!
It is authentic New Orleans food.....pre-Paul!!!!
You can open this book and trust that any recipe you choose will be successful.....except for the Red Beans & Rice which has too much meat to be the REAL LOCAL AUTHENTIC version.
I am a Chef & I can't imagine being without this book. It's REAL New Orleans food!!!!!! This
book is a REAL WINNER!!!!!!!!!! A CLASSIC!!!!!

Thank-you Rima and Richard Collin!!!!!!
K & Roo & Tessa TOO!!!












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"New Orleans Cookbook" By Richard Collin is a terrific introduction to the cajan and creole cooking styles that NOLA is known for. To be able to understand how typical New Orleanians cook, one must attempt to understand both the culture and the region of Southern Louisiana. The recipes within this cookbook resonate with the traditional and innovative varities. Anything and everything that has come out of that area is easily found within these pages. The layout of the book is charming, and is very readable. The directions are not overcumbersome, and the reciepes are all simply preparable. A novice or an experienced chef will appreciate this cookbook.

My husband received this cookbook for his birthday, by my sister, some 15 years ago. But I am the one that used and took it over!!! I didn't even know how to really cook, but was able to make superb dishes, without fail, everytime. And since then, this cookbook has been well used!!! There are stains and pages slipping out from frequent use!!!

This book with it's story weaving thru history i.e. pre and post Civil War times; was fascinating. The writer lets you stand in the shoes of the three main female characters. What makes it so special is that the author is writing about her ancestors and what they [most likley felt] during their lives on what history shows they actually did.
The author did extensive research on her family and documented events with some of their photographs and old papers that she found. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves history and stories about real people and events. 5 stars !!

This was a very fascinating account of the generations of a family that progressed from slavery to freedom to landowners. While they made many advancements in their lives, they never outlived the racial prejudices that followed them. Very well written and highly recommended.

I recently finished this book and was blown away at how attached I found myself becoming to the characters! This novel tells the story of three generations of African-American women beginning from before the civil war and ending in the Depression era, all fighting to break the bonds and stigmas of slavery. This story tells of their loves, struggles, families, deaths and births and how each moment impacted them and future generations. Each woman has a story of bonding (either voluntarily or forcibly) with a powerful white male to "bleach the line" as Tademy calls it, or making the Negro skin whiter to give the future generations of children better opportunities as they become passable as white. The story talks of the struggles of interracial love in prejudice times and the heartbreak it leads to. Just everything in the story is so moving and I felt pain for each trial the character went through and cheered for every joy that came their way. I found myself wishing I could just sit with the older generation women and just listen to more of their stories about their lives. I was infuriated with the ruinations that came to the family through the ignorant prejudice behaviors of the supposedly higher class uppitty Christians meddling in private affairs. But I understand that was the way of the times.

I can honestly say this book gave me one of the best perspectives of that era that I have ever read. It does well in displaying the advantages and disadvantages of each side of the color line and I applaud Tademy for bringing such a monumental work to the masses. The story was even more touching with the documents and pictures within the book as a constant reminder that while the book may have been fictionalized, these characters were at one time real living breathing people.

If you get a copy of this one, don't let go!!!

I am currently reading this book and it is an awesome book. I have not put the book down since I brought it. I am looking forward to read her next book Red River. Mrs. Lalita Tademy is a great author. She keeps the reader attention from the beginning to the end. It is a must read book that could be used in American Literature.

Happy readings!

Cane River is absolutely enthralling. The story of Elisabeth, Suzette, Philomene and Emily is heartbreaking yet uplifting. It reaffirmed my faith in family and love. Get this book, you'll love it!

Memories of when people come together to help those in need, no matter how many legs they have. It's great to see the results of human compassion.

I wanted to have this book ever since I saw it: because I wouldve been there to help these people to help rescue all these animals if I could from day one.The photos in this book tell the story so well, its amazingly beautiful,tears have rolled down my eyes every time I watch these amazing pictures.Its the story of what unconditional love can acomplish when you let it happen.There are thousand of moving stories,the one of "dog in boat" was incredible, and the one of the big white dog that recovered that has her picture on the cover.But to me, my very favourite story of all, because I have a soft spot for Pit Bulls and the fact they are often extremely misunderstood by people, is the story of the Pit Bull couple who where together on top of a car hood, and when they spotted the little boat with the people, the male jumped into the water and started swimming towards them.That is my very favourite photo+special story.I vividly recommend this book to everyone, its a jewel!

This is one of the animal books that has touched my heart deeply. Imagine being a pet, dependent on your owner for basic survival, and then suddenly having no one there to protect, feed, care and nurture you. Imagine this going on for days, with no end in sight. That's what these animals went through. Many of these owners didn't realize how Hurricane Katrina would tear into their lives taking everything away from them including their precious pets. Happily, many of these animals were reunited with their owners again, and for those that weren't, "Best Friends" took care of them. However, these animals were desperate.

Whenever I read about the 2 pit bulls trapped on the rooftop of a submerged car my eyes tear up. Who knows how long these 2 dogs were trapped on that roof, but when the one dog spotted the rescuers--who were in a rowboat due to the flooded streets--he was so desperate by then that he jumped into the water and swam the distance to the boat...which was quite a ways from his rooftop... he swam up to the boat, looked into the eyes of the photographer and just begged to be plucked out of the water, rescued and loved. He didn't even wait for them to get to him, he swam across the water just to get to them. I tear up everytime I think about that pitbull's desperation and feeling of abandonment.

Anyway, read the book. And I have to say that Best Friends is one of best organizations I've ever heard of. They do so much on behalf of animals and they are just a wonderful, wonderful organization. Buy the book and visit www.bestfriends.org! It can be a great coffee table book too.

Having worked at the sanctuary in Tylertown, MS where many of these animals were taken after the rescues documented in these extraordinary photographs, this book helps one vividly see what so many of these animals went through after the hurricane and before they arrived at our base camp. More can be said by these photos that captured how these beasts survived the days, weeks and sometimes months after Hurricane Katrina, than any written text can state.

I was also pleased to see that one of the dogs we cared for in the Back 40 in Tylertown whom we named "Piglet" turned out to be the covergirl on this book! She was always so happy to see us when we'd approach her kennel and loved to have suntan lotion rubbed all over her belly -- it is really something to see her story in detail before she came to us at Tylertown. The happy ending is that she was adopted by a family and now has a very happy forever home. :)

Troy Snow and the Best Friends Animal Society, Not Left Behind: Rescuing the Pets of New Orleans (Yorkville Press, 2006)

After Katrina hit, thousands upon thousands were forced to flee New Orleans and leave their pets behind. (The prevailing attitude of "we'll only be gone a few days, we'll leave a big bowl of food and some extra water" is reiterated here.) As the military worked on trying to get the city back into habitable condition and rescue any surviving people in the city, the best Friends Animal Society went to work trying to rescue the pets. Troy Snow, the group's photographer, documented the weeks they spent outside New Orleans, boating into the city every day to rescue animals that had been trapped by the flood. These are not happy fluffy bunny animal pictures, folks. If you prefer to think of your pooches as gamboling in the breeze, you might want to avoid this one. But Snow's pictures capture the dogged (pardon the pun) determination and will to live of the animals, and are a fitting tribute to their ability to survive. ****

This is the first book in a series of four. A fantastic series indeed.
Without a doubt one of the best series that I've read. Filled with the drama and mystery that accompanies every PI book, we learn that the real mystery here is Micky Knight. Who is she, and will she survive,.. not just the latest job thats been brought to her door, but her own demons as well. She's flawed and human. Not a superwoman,.. just a woman trying to make it thru the day to day of her life.
And the New Orleans setting truly makes this book. I can't picture Micky anywhere else.
I felt like I was there,.. every painful step of the way.
The author has given us a gift with this series.

I found that this book held my attention and left you wanting more and not able to put it down for long periods. A good author for those who are not true book worms like myself.

If you are getting bored reading the same old tired detective/mystery stories, pick up the Mickey Knight series. As a previous reader wrote, you'll find mystery, romance, comedy, steamy sex, and plenty of action in the Mickey Knight novels. The author has created a strong character with depth, who is very human and vulnerable. Let me say this: MICKEY IS NO WIMP! The supporting characters are richly developed throughout the series and you'll care about them all. The author makes you feel as though you're moving through New Orleans with Mickey. I loved all 4 books and can't wait to see what comes next. Don't miss this top notched series. It is THE BEST written detective series featuring a lesbian.

This book (and the other three in this series) are the best written mysteries I've read. The characters are well developed, the plot is twisted and interesting, and the psychological drama is intense. This is a dark story that goes far beyond the plot of a simple cliff-hanger mystery.

It's all here murder, mayhem, hot sex and beautiful women. This is the first in a series of four murder/suspense/mysteries featuring PI Michelle Knight.From the beginning when Knight is hired to help Karen Wentworth expose her ex-fiance, who is dancing at a gay bar, I was hooked. We have a police detective, an assistant DA and a doctor all linked to Mickey in some way and very important to the plot. Redmann knows New Orleans and shares it with us, albeit the seamier side. The story moves and takes the reader with it. We care what happens to our PI and her friends and the people who get pulled into the criminal happenings. Watch what happens with Cordelia James and her involvement with the happenings. And then read Deaths of Jocasta, The Intersection of Law and Desire, and Lost Daughters.
It's time for another Micky Knight book. Top drawer!

This book is beautifully photographed and well written. It is a perfect example of how new homes can be constructed to have the timeless appeal of historical properties by using old and new materials and thoughtful intrepetation of historical designs. Mr. Town's homes are the kind that can be handed down from generation to generation due to their quailty and beauty. Mr. Town's residential projects should be an inspiration to those considering building a new home in any price range. It is the design that counts.

Being born and raised in SE Louisiana just outside of New Orleans I really enjoyed the homes presented. I am currently planning to build our home here in the Houston suburbs and the ideas presented are awesome!!!

We are building a new home with the Hays Town Louisiana houses as inspiration. His style should translate well to rural Atlanta. But we have to pass on the German Shepherd.

My wife loves the A. Hays Town homes, and this book is a nice representation of his work. A good coffee table item for guests to view.

I found this book to be exactly the view of Hays Town's work that I wanted to see.

I love this cook book, it has great recipes in it that are easy to find the ingredients for, and easy to make.
I received it as a gift during my first year of marriage in 1974, am now on my second one because the first is falling apart. I give it as a wedding gift to all the newlyweds I know.

I ordered the cookbook TALK ABOUT GOOD; as usual with Amazon, it arrived very quickly. The books were damaged in shipping, I read the instructions for returning damaged items, contacted Amazon with e-mail, printed a mailer and gave the package to my postman. A new book was mailed out as soon as Amazon found out about the problem, I had a couple of weeks to get the damaged book returned. I originally did not notice that both books were damaged on the corners so only one was replaced, I'm sure that if the other was reported damaged, I would have another new one. TALK ABOUT GOOD service!!

Oh, by the way, this is an excellent cookbook. I made a carrot cake for my boss, she tasted it and knew where the recipe was from! Amazing!! A friend had given her this cookbook in the mid 70's and my husband brought it back to me from Louisiana in the mid 70's. The recipes are favorites of the Lafayette Junior League. The book has not changed in 30 years except it now has a hard cover! The second book is a Christmas present for my boss - both of us have lost the paper covers from the original 30+ year old book!

This is by far the best cook book ever written!! These are truly "Cajun" based recipes and are tried and true! I highly recommend it to anyone that is interested in Cajun Cuisine. It is THE BEST!!!

This is most likely the BEST cookbook in existence, defiantly if you like Cajun food. The fact that it has a binding that allows pages to lay flat, remain open shows how the publisher intended this book to be used, in the kitchen.
Wife wore out the 1st copy I bought her, literally to torn shreds, this is a replacement, and we got it at a great price.

During my childhood, this was my mother's favorite cookbook - long before it was feasible to access such a wide range of recipes from the internet. She lost the cookbook (and everything else) in Hurricane Katrina, and it has been difficult to replace it. We were so happy to be able to find it on Amazon.com and give it to her for Christmas. Although she has relocated from New Orleans, the cookbook and the recipes that she used from it over the holidays, made us feel at home. The cookbook itself demonstrates authentic home cooking. Each recipe reflects the contributors' individual tastes and family traditions, and the types of cooking and ingredients provide a glimpse into a distinct culture. I find it as much fun to read the recipes and their variations as to cook them.

I found this book with it's Cajun setting quite a fun read.It has good suspense,plus the interesting subplots,and even a touch of voodoo,kept me reading all night until I finished.Good character development as well.

Looking forward to reading the other two,in the trilogy.

Bayou Justice is a great romance, full of mystery and surprises. It has an excellent plot and very good characters. I highly recommend you to read it - It is a page-turner !!!

Robin's debut novel is a fast-paced romantic suspense with a solid, unique plot that kept me tense from the first page to the last. Robin writes with a fresh, active style with strong verbs and vivid word imagery.

I absolutely loved the hero and heroine in this fabulous love story. I rooted for them from the first few pages of them coming back into one another's lives. The romantic tension was done so well, it was a palpable thing coming off the page like a gator crawling up the bank of a bayou...

I loved every single page and cannot wait to read the rest of Robin's Bayou series.

Highly Recommended!

Cheryl Wyatt

Coco LeBlanc, an alligator conservationist, lives on the Louisiana bayou with her younger sister and their grandmother, a voodoo priestess. The book opens with her ex-fiance's grandfather serving them an eviction notice. The next day Coco finds his body in the bayou. She and Luc broke up two years before and have hardly spoken since. Now both of them are suspects for the murder and have only each other on their sides.

It took me a while to get into this book, but once I did, I couldn't put it down. It's got twists galore and a nice level of unpredictability. The detailed plot expertly entwines religious beliefs, family loyalties, romance, the Confederacy and the KKK.

An excellent debut offering; an entertaining, suspenseful read. I gladly recommend this book and look forward to the second in this series, Bayou Corruption (Bayou Series, Book 2) (Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense #89), to be released February 2008.

Ms. Caroll's debut novel Bayou Justice is the first book in the Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense line of books that I've read and I was very impressed not only with the author, but also with the book and this line. This suspenseful thriller set in the Louisiana Bayou is an entertaining and riveting read. The relationship of main characters, Coco and Luc as they work together to solve a murder and the transformation that comes with second chances and forgiveness will touch your heart. The interesting and intriguing secondary characters and the beautiful and vivid descriptions in this book left me anxiously awaiting the next book in the series.

Barbara Hambly writes superb American historical suspense novels.She tells truths,with gut wrenching historical accuracy and yet with compassion and the kind of suspense that makes it hard to put her books down. I always finish one of her Benjamin January novels wanting more. I am constantly amazed that Ms. Hambly is not a household name. I reccommend her books constantly because her range is so wide, Biography, Historical , Science Fiction, I cannot get enough!!

Always a fascinating read, the Benjamin January series opens a window to New Orleans in the 1830s.

Every time I have the opportunity to recommend a book, I recommend the entire Benjamin January series. I've done a lot of research into the period in which the series is set and Hambly's facts are dead-on. January is one of the more interesting characters in series literature and Hambly deftly brings the period to life. Her use of actual historical persons such as Marie LeVo makes it even more interesting and fun. The whole series is really worth the time and money. I hate to get to the end of each book, then find myself waiting impatiently for the next one.
Do yourself a huge favor and read the whole series.

What a wonderful series!! Lots of history and plenty of intrigue. If you've ever been to New Orleans you'll be able to imagine yourself there. Do yourself a favor and read the whole series.

The Benjamin January is an enjoyable read for any lover of New Orleans and historical fiction