In looking for the next Louisiana Inspired book club pick, our team wanted to select a book unlike the ones we've discussed with readers in the past.
With this goal in mind, we settled on a book we believe folks in Louisiana will know and want to discuss: "Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen" cookbook. This was the legendary Louisiana chef's first cookbook, published in 1984, that changed everything — with its profound impact on American cuisine and food culture, both nationally and internationally.
The book put Cajun and Creole cuisine on the map. When it comes to Cajun and Creole food, there is before Prudhomme’s book and after.
His recipes — particularly for dishes like blackened redfish, gumbo and jambalaya — brought the bold flavors of Louisiana into kitchens across the country.
The chef was born on a farm in Opelousas. In his early career, he worked in kitchens in New Orleans, including Le Pavillon hotel and Maison Dupuy.
In 1975, Ella Brennan hired Prudhomme as the executive chef at Commander's Palace. He was the first American-born chef to hold that position at the iconic New Orleans restaurant and transformed the menu by adding Cajun dishes.
Paul Prudhomme stands on the balcony of K-Paul's restaurant on Chartres street in the New Orleans French Quarter Monday May 16, 2005.
He worked at Commander's until 1979, when he left to open his own restaurant, K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen, which closed in 2020 during the pandemic.
Prudhomme passed away in New Orleans on Oct. 8, 2015, at the age of 75. Even after his death, his cooking legacy reverberates throughout Louisiana and the country.
We invite readers to join us in revisiting Prudhomme's first cookbook. Make the recipes. Remember the heyday of restaurant scenes with blackened everything. Take a culinary trip down memory lane. Leaf through its pages and create the dishes according to Prudhomme's specifications.
In October, we will host a virtual event to discuss the book and remember Prudhomme and his influence on Louisiana food and culture.
Sign up for notices for the Louisiana Inspired Book Club, which selects a book to read and discuss quarterly, here.
Below is an excerpt from the introduction to Prudhomme's "Louisiana Kitchen":
Photo by Kathy Anderson Paull Prudhomme stands on the balcony of K-Paul's restaurant on Chartres street. The restaurant is 25-years-old. May 16, 2005
"I think cooking is a very personal thing. You have to draw on the past, on what you've read, what you've tasted and what you've seen prepared. But I think that anyone can show imagination with food. First you need to build your confidence. Start by reading cookbooks to see the different ways people combine foods. Keep in mind that there is only a limited number of foods available in this world to work with — which is fascinating, because people all over the world take these basics and make them taste completely different. People in your own neighborhood, the people next door, have the same products to work with, and yet each person ends up with a distinctive dish."