Prudhomme - Chef Paul Prudhommes Louisiana Tastes: Exciting Flavors from the State that Cooks

Hi! Its great to be invited into your kitchen againtogether we can make some fantastic meals! To my way of thinking, fantastic meals and great cooking are about more than just putting nourishment into your body, although, of course, that was foods first purpose. Although flavor is incredibly important to me (and to you too, Im sure, or you wouldnt have this book in your hands), good food means more than thatto me, its very emotional and means sharing love and friendship. Let me explain.

I was the youngest of thirteen children, and when my last sister got married I was appointed to help Mother in the kitchen, so Ive been around cooking since I was just a child. I saw firsthand how Mother used her skills and knowledge to express her love for her family, and some of my happiest memories are of all of us sitting around the table, laughing and talking and sharing the days events. If one of us had a hard day or wasnt feeling well, the sight of a favorite dish and the concern of other family members couldnt help but make that person feel better. The kitchen table was where we got to really know one another, where we learned about family history, the give-and-take of relationships, manners, and how to hold a conversation. It was where we learned how precious life and family are, and what being a family really means.

Im pretty sure that people have been eating together since long before we could talk. As hunters and gatherers settled down and became farmers, it took the entire family to raise the food and prepare the meals, so, of course, they all stopped to eat at the same time. There werent any books, televisions, or schools, so people talked about crops, weather, and family matters, and these conversations further strengthened their sense of family.

We Prudhommes werent the only ones who regularly gathered around the table to feed body and spiritup until the 1960s or so, most families across the country would never have thought of eating separately. But we lost something very precious when other activities became more importantcommittee meetings, working late, classes, social events, and sports. I dont pretend to be a sociologist, but I think there must be some connection between the loss of the daily family meal and the fracturing of families and their traditional values. I think that, as a nation, were nearing a crisis with our children because many of them dont know who they are or what their heritage is.

I wish I could say something like Use this cookbook and itll bring your family back together, but theres no magic in the pages themselves. What I can say, though, is Use this book and your emotions to create some wonderful dishes, and make the effort to bring your family together for a meal. Maybe you cant count on all family members to be at the table every night, but perhaps you can begin with two or three nights a week. And if youre a family of one, then think close friends when I refer to family members. We all need love and fellowship, even if we dont have children or a spouse.

Another example of how important food is to us is the fact that when we want to impress someone, the first thing we do is feed them. Think about it. A young man wants to impress a datehe takes her out to dinner. A lady wants to impress a gentlemanshe invites him over for a home-cooked meal. A businessperson needs the goodwill of a clienthe or she takes that person to lunch. The highest compliment we can pay a new friend or acquaintance is to invite him or her home for dinner.

The ideas for many recipes in this book were inspired by the wealth of new, and in some cases unusual, foods that are available today in our grocery stores, supermarkets, and ethnic markets. For example, yucca, mango, papaya, Japanese eggplant, balsamic vinegar, chipotle chile peppers, and tilapia are just a few of the delicious ingredients that Ive learned to use.

Look at the recipe for Chicken with a Green and White Taste on page 186 and youll see what I mean. The green comes from sugar snap peas, similar to snow peas, and when lightly cooked and combined with the right seasonings, they are a highlight of this chicken dish. Notice, too, that its got three kinds of chile peppersfresh jalapeos and ground dried New Mexico and ancho pepperswhich we certainly didnt have when I was growing up.

Although not every recipe in this book contains a newly discovered ingredient, I was able to create these dishes with far greater freedom and excitement than when I put my first cookbook together. The methods used are mostly traditional Louisiana ones, similar to the way I cooked as a youngster, although I constantly learn new techniques from professionals and home cooks as I travel around the country and the world. Ive always said my main mission in life is to make your dinner better, and all these recipes were created around the idea of making you happy. Another one of my goals is to help you become a better cook. I try to explain why whenever I do anything unusual, and, for the first time, in many of these recipes Ive included tasting notes so you can follow and understand how the flavor, smell, color, and texture of an ingredient or a dish will develop as it browns and as you add other ingredients. You dont have to eat much of the food just rub the back of a spoon on the ingredient and you can taste the intensity of the browning or seasoning. In a couple of instances we even talk about the color of the smoke, for that can be important, too. I hope youll think about what youre doing, and maybe even make notes to yourself in the margins of the book.

Youll notice that the layout of each recipe is a bit different from my previous books. Weve separated the seasoning mix from the main part of the recipe, so it stands out and you can easily make it up anytime. Store the mixes in a plastic zipper bag or small jar in your pantry and theyll be there whenever youre ready to cook.

Please read through Notes from My Kitchen because it contains useful information that is too lengthy to include with each recipe. And right now Im going to give you a really important suggestion: Carefully read the entire recipe before starting to cook it; you dont want to get halfway through and discover that the garlic youre about to add should have been fire-roasted.

If this is the first of my cookbooks youve used, Id like to suggest a good order in which to proceed. The secret of success in cooking is the same as the secret of success in life: Pay attention! First, read the recipe and make your shopping list. When youre ready to cook, read the recipe again. Start the stock if indicated, make the seasoning mix, prep the vegetables, then get out measuring cups, bowls, pots and pans, thermometer if needed, and check to see if any ingredients need to be cold or at room temperature when added to the dish.

In line with what I said earlier, as wonderful as it is for a family to eat together, its even better when family members cook together! One person can start the stock and prepare the seasoning mix, another can chop the vegetables, and if theres a third person to help, he or she can get out all the staplesvinegar, oil, sugar, and so forth. Turn off the television, for youll have a lot more fun talking and laughing as you cook. Before you know it, youll have a wonderful dinner and a closer family.

To sum up, this book is about making people happy. When I sign off as I do below, its because I firmly believe that cooking, eating, and loving are very closely related.