Besh Big Easy: 101 Home Cooked New Orleans Recipes by John Besh (Cookbook Reviews)

Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own. 

About the book-

In Besh Big Easy: 101 Home-Cooked New Orleans Recipes, award-winning chef John Besh makes his favorite hometown cooking accessible to a wide audience of cooks and readers.

In this, his fourth book, the award-winning chef John Besh takes another deep dive into the charm and authenticity of the cuisine of his hometown, New Orleans.
Besh Big Easy: 101 Home-Cooked New Orleans Recipes, is a fresh and delightful new look at his signature food. Besh Big Easy will feature all new recipes, published in a refreshing new flexibound format and accessible to cooks everywhere. Much has changed since Besh wrote his bestselling My New Orleans in 2009. His restaurant empire has grown from two to nine acclaimed eateries, from the highly praised Restaurant August to the just opened farm-to-table taqueria, Johnny Sanchez. John's television career has blossomed as well. He's become known to millions as host of two national public television cooking shows based on his books and of Hungry Investors on Spike TV. Besh Big Easy is dedicated to accessibility. "There's no reason a good jambalaya needs two dozen ingredients," John says. In this book, jambalaya has less than ten, but sacrifices nothing in the way of flavor. With 101 original, personal recipes such as Mr. Sam's Stuffed Crabs, Duck Camp Shrimp & Grits, and Silver Queen Corn Pudding, Besh Big Easy is chock-full of the vivid personality that has made John Besh such a popular American culinary icon. 

My thoughts- 

My husband and I (and now our three kids) love to travel. One of our favorite places to visit is new Orleans. We love the music scene and how the city itself feels like worlds away from other cities in the United States. There is just nowhere else in the world that I have been that is like New Orleans. It dances to to the beat of it's own drum. One of the many components of that individuality is the food. Cajun and Creole food is delicious and once again very specific to that region. We love the kick from the spices used and my husband enjoys the wide array of seafood available. since NOLA is quite a drive from our house, I love the idea of having a cookbook devoted to just the types of food that come from there. Besh Big Easy offers recipes for all of the types of foods you would expect to find in New Orleans- jambalaya, gumbo, rice and beans, great sides, a vast array of seafood, fantastic sides and delectable southern desserts. This cookbook will keep you busy because there are so many recipes you will want to try. Besh is a trusted authority on Big Easy cooking so you know these recipes are legit. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to be adventurous in the kitchen or who just loves the food that can only be found in Louisiana. Why not recreate it and serve it up in your own kitchen, wherever that may be.

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