My New Orleans: The Cookbook

By John Besh
Andrews McMeel Publishing, $45.00, 374 pages

“This book is the story of a dreamy, starry-eyed boy brought up in the shadows of New Orleans, surrounded by cypress knees and tupelo trees, good dinners and great friends.”

Like its exquisite recipes, My New Orleans is a masterpiece. Author John Besh’s cookbook sparks all the senses: taste through enticing recipes; sight from stunning photography; touch by weight and cool, glossy pages. This is more than a cookbook: it’s a calling, inviting you to turn the next page, and the next, and the next.

Besh is as much author as he is chef. My New Orleans is a storybook. Besh walks you through childhood memories, offers historical tales of his great city, and unravels adventures in food from Mardi Gras parades to “crawfishing” in mud bogs. Filled with memories, grand New Orleans photography, and brilliant recipes, this book offers a rich experience.

My New Orleans reflects Besh’s hometown approach to cooking: seasonal, local, and utterly New Orleans. He includes Pan-Fried Croaker with Sweet Corn Hush Puppies and Cole Slaw, Strawberry Shortcake, King Cake (for Mardi Gras), and a good old-fashioned Crawfish Boil. Each recipe is painted with the hand of a James Beard Award-winning chef—which means they are brilliant, yet articulately explained for everyday cooks.

The best cookbooks are meant to be savored through words and images, in addition to recipes. My New Orleans nails it.

Reviewed by Amber K. Stott