Jay Ducote’s Favorite Louisiana Cookbooks
I have a ton of cookbooks at my house, and most of them just sit on a bookshelf and look pretty. However, there are a solid handful that I try to use over and over again. A lot of my Louisiana recipes get their start from these books. From celebrity chefs to really good comfort food, here are the Louisiana cookbooks that I actually have on my shelf and will scan for inspiration or for a tried and true recipe.
Disclaimer: links contain influencer marketing codes, none of which impacted their placement on this list. For my full list of cookbooks, knives, and other kitchen essentials, check out my Amazon Storefront.
Best Branded Cookbook - Growing Up Cajun - Slap Ya Mama
Slap Ya Mama’s cookbook is full of great recipes from the Walker family and their growing up in the Smoked Meat Capital of the World - Ville Platte. Featuring plenty of ways to use their Cajun seasonings and hot sauces, the book shares plenty of stories about how the company came to be, the history of Ville Platte and the central Louisiana Cajuns, and cooking everything from boudin balls to ponce sauce piquante. Jack Walker from Slap Ya Mama was kind enough to supply a quote on the back of my cookbook, and I’m happy to have theirs on my shelf!
Local Legend - Homegrown Louisiana Cookin’ - Justin Wilson
I GUAR-AN-TEE that this book will make you salivate for some flavors of Louisiana. Justin Wilson was one for Louisiana’s first celebrity chefs, bringing his thick accent and story telling to his stand-and-stir cooking shows on PBS. He’s got everything from gumbos to deep fried turkeys and shows how to peel crabs and crawfish or make a classic pain perdu.
Best History - The Fonville Winans Cookbook
Fonville Winans was a famous photographer and artist, as well as a cook. This archive of recipes, photographs, and more was put together for the LSU press by Melinda Winans and Cynthia Nobles, and I’m really happy to have a copy. Much of his historical photography is from the depression era around Grand Isle, Louisiana, although he also attended LSU in Baton Rouge and photographed a whole lot more. His classic photo “The Oysterman” from 1933 was recreated by Chef John Folse for the cover of his The Encyclopedia of Cajun & Creole Cuisine.
The Icon - The Encyclopedia of Cajun & Creole Cuisine - John Folse
With the cover based off of a photo from Fonville Winans above, Chef John Folse’s Encyclopedia is perhaps the most quintessential Louisiana cookbook of all time. He’s gone on to publish more mind-boggling volumes of cookbooks to add to his collection, but this is the one that launched Chef Folse’s empire, and it’s a must-have for anybody looking for a Louisiana hallmark. I consider myself lucky to have met and worked with Chef Folse on numerous occasions and to have his entire collection autographed with personalized notes. They’re something I’ll treasure forever. John was also nice enough to give an endorsement for my book!
Mr. Celebrity Chef - Emeril’s New Orleans Cooking - Emeril Lagasse
It is hard to think of Louisiana chefs and not mention Emeril Lagasse. While not native to Louisiana, his impact on New Orleans and the cuisine of our state has been perhaps more important than any other individual. I’ve gotten to meet him a few times, including when I was invited to cook at his Boudin, Bourbon & Beer event in NOLA. I was also lucky enough early in my blogging journey to do a promotion with Emeril’s publishing company and I received his entire collection of cookbooks that he had out at that time. None is more key to my Louisiana collection than Emeril’s New Orleans Cooking.
Narrative and Recipes - Hungry for Louisiana - Maggie Heyn Richardson
For a lovely book from a wonderful journalist and friend, consider adding Hungry for Louisiana: An Omnivore’s Journey to your library. Maggie shares plenty of stories and recipes in her book about the state’s signature foods - everything from crawfish to jambalaya and snowballs to creole cream cheese. She celebrates foodways and acknowledges the dynamics between maintaining local traditions and managing agricultural and social change.
The Staple - River Road Recipes - Junior League of Baton Rouge
This spiral-bound collection of recipes from The Junior League of Baton Rouge dates back to 1959 and is is a staple in pretty much every Baton Rouge household. I’ve got multiple copies from different printings, handed down from generations. They’ve got volume II and III out now as well, though I don’t have III in my collection. Salads, breads, party foods, punches, cakes, candies, food to serve 50, and a chapter on “how men cook” are all found in this relic of culinary history.
My Book! - Louisiana Outdoor Cooking - Jay Ducote
Finally, when looking at a collection of Louisiana cookbooks, I’ve of course got to recognize my own! A different take than the rest of these, my book focuses more on how I learned how to cook throwing tailgate parties for LSU football games, getting into food through competitive barbecue and food blogging, and my path to eating and drinking for a living through various TV shows and other wild adventures! You can also purchase an autographed copy from my site. Plus, there are endorsements from Jack Walker and John Folse, as mentioned above, and several more!
