From Publishers Weekly
Acadiana "Cajun" cooking, America's popular regional cuisine, is captured here by self-taught Dore, who has lived on Avery Island, La., since 1949. With her husband, she managed the Tabasco Company Commissary, cooking for the island's residents, visitors and owners, the McIlhenny family. The book, written with Bienvenu (a Cajun expert best known for co-authoring four books with Emeril Lagasse), is divided into seasons that reflect the rhythm of the island and the cyclical nature of the produce and ingredients used. Within each season, the recipes are divided into menus marking different events, from a May Wedding with Party Pecan Tarts using a flaky cream cheese pastry dough, through a Fourth of July Barbecue with its uncomplicated Commissary Cole Slaw and Eula Mae's Potato Salad (given a kick from Tabasco pepper sauce), to A Family Thanksgiving Feast with a simple Roasted Chicken. Brief descriptions before each recipe ("grits, for those of you not familiar with them, are simply finely ground corn") give the book a homey feel that echoes Dore's dishes, and the reminiscences that she sprinkles throughout add flavor and color to a book that brings this traditional regional style to kitchens everywhere.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Avery Island, LA, is home of the Mclhenny Company, manufacturer of Tabasco sauce, and Dor has cooked for the McIlhennys and their employees for more than 50 years, first at the Tabasco Company Commissary and, more recently, for special events and celebrations. With coauthor Bienvenu, another authority on Cajun food, she presents 17 menus organized by season, from "Easter on the Cheniere" to "A Family Thanksgiving Feast" to "St. Patrick's Day in Acadiana," with 100 or so recipes for Cajun-style home cooking. Bienvenu introduces each menu with reminiscences from Dor, and there are black-and-white snapshots of her kitchen, family and friends, and favorite Avery Island spots. For local libraries and other collections on regional cooking.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
"My wife, Gloria, and I were lucky enough to enjoy the fine cooking of Eula Mae when we visited Avery Island a few years ago. Her food is full of flavor, meant to be shared with friends." --Jacques Pepin, chef, cookbook author, and public television cooking show host
"Eula Me Dore is a living American treasure. Her beautiful storytelling and delicious menus take the cook on a memorable adventure to Avery Island, Louisiana--her beloved 'Garden of Eden.' I recommend that you take the trip with Eula Mae to America's Cajun Country!" --Art Smith, author of Back to the Table: The Reunion of Food and Family
About the Author
The late Eula Mae Doré (1929-2009) grew up on a farm in the small rural community of Coteau in southern Louisiana. Her mother died when she was only ten, and since her father worked sunup to sundown on his farm, she became the cook for this family of five, teaching herself to cook Cajun specialties and learning to make the most of local ingredients. In 1949 she married Walter “MoNeg” Doré, who worked for the McIlhenny Company, producer of Tabasco Brand Pepper Sauce. Soon the couple was put in charge of the Tabasco Company Commissary on Avery Island, which sold everything from bread to detergent and serviced both the McIlhenny Company employees and the McIlhenny family. It was Eula Mae who came up with the idea of selling sandwiches at lunchtime, and they soon became legendary, drawing businessmen from the mainland eight miles away. Besides cooking and managing the commissary, Eula Mae was often called on to prepare food for Walter McIlhenny, late owner of the McIlhenny Company. He often asked her to cook for parties and brunches, preferring her down-home cooking to that of his personal chef.
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