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Ralph Brennan Unveils the Definitive Guide to New Orleans Seafood
Monday, Apr 07, 2008
Ralph Brennan Unveils the Definitive Guide to New Orleans Seafood
Created by the Perfect Storm of Louisiana Talent, this Comprehensive
170-Recipe Cookbook Makes Landfall this April
NEW ORLEANS, LA (April 8, 2008) – Over a decade in the making, famed restaurateur Ralph Brennan, and his perfect storm of Louisiana talent are proud to unveil Ralph Brennan’s New Orleans Seafood Cookbook, a definitive guide to the preparation, cooking and serving of local seafood.
The 432-page book features 170 recipes— 25 percent classic (Trout Amandine, Oysters Rockefeller and Shrimp Creole) and 75 percent contemporary recipes (Crawfish Spring Rolls, Barbeque Oysters, Grilled Redfish “On the Half Shell” and Crabmeat Lasagna with Crab-&-Chanterelle Butter Sauce). The book includes step-by-step instructions, a seafood cook’s manual, tips and illustrations, a glossary of Creole and Acadian food terms, suggested wine pairings and a comprehensive ingredients source list (including ordering information).
Ralph Brennan’s culinary team dedicated the past four years (including a nine-month hiatus in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina) to creating the ultimate guide to New Orleans seafood. This crème de la crème team includes Ralph Brennan, his four executive chefs Haley Bitterman, Gregg Collier, Chris Montero and Darrin Finkel; veteran writer and editor Gene Bourg (The Times-Picayune, Saveur, Food & Wine); acclaimed photographer Kerri McCaffety (Obituary Cocktail, Etouffée Mon Amour); and The Times-Picayune recipe tester Paulette Rittenburg (Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen).
“In New Orleans, cuisine is a great leveler— home cooks can be just as passionate about our food culture as the high-profile chefs in a fine-dining establishment,” Ralph Brennan said. “This book was created to demystify seafood and provide every person passionate for our indigenous cuisine with the tools necessary to conquer the challenges of preparing New Orleans seafood at home.”
To achieve this goal, each detailed recipe was painstakingly prepared and triple-tested in home kitchens to ensure dishes come out accurate and delicious, every time. This comprehensive cookbook is destined to become a classic guide to preparing seafood for cooks nationwide.
Setting Ralph Brennan’s New Orleans Seafood Cookbook apart from other seafood-focused selections is “A Seafood Cook’s Manual.” This section provides a comprehensive guide to Gulf seafood species, shares tips for determining seafood quality and illustrates step-by-step instructions on handling, storing and preparing raw seafood products. A complete list of local and national premier vendors for seafood, spices, condiments, cocktails is included to provide the home chefs with the secret ingredients to capture the authentic tastes of New Orleans.
When local fare is unavailable, the cookbook provides recommendations on substituting New Orleans signature seafood with regional specialties, making the book a perfect accompaniment for New Orleans chefs at-home, at-heart or abroad. This novel approach allows home cooks to combine the flavors of New Orleans with the freshest, local ingredients— a founding principle of Ralph Brennan’s kitchens.
The focus on local seafood specialties and regional recipes guided this book from the beginning. The idea for Ralph Brennan’s New Orleans Seafood Cookbook began to simmer more than ten years ago when acclaimed national food writer John Mariani lamented the absence of “a definitive New Orleans seafood cookbook.” This seemingly offhand, yet valid, reference to a city with such deep culinary roots and the proximate bounty of the Gulf of Mexico shocked Ralph Brennan. Unknowingly, Mariani’s words provided a compass for the next decade of Ralph Brennan’s work.
“Despite a gastronomy based so largely on local seafood, New Orleans has never had a comprehensive book on the subject--until now,” John Mariani said. “Ralph Brennan, one of the city’s finest restaurateurs, has produced a book on Louisiana seafood that is not just authoritative and mouthwatering; but exceptionally beautiful.”
A central component to the appeal of Ralph Brennan’s New Orleans Seafood Cookbook remains the stunning photography of Kerri McCaffety. McCaffety found inspiration for the book’s images in the chefs’ culinary creations as well as the rich architectural details of Ralph Brennan’s BACCO, Red Fish Grill and Ralph’s on the Park restaurants, each of which is housed in a historic New Orleans building constructed in the mid-to-late 1800’s. Historic images, iconic recipes and McCaffety’s contemporary art combine on the pages of Ralph Brennan’s New Orleans Seafood Cookbook to create the ultimate visual feast.
In a nod to the rich Creole tradition of lagniappe, “a little something extra”, Ralph Brennan has included two chapters showcasing his favorite New Orleans Desserts and Spirits alongside the seafood-laden Appetizer, Gumbos, Soups and Bisques and Main Course chapters. Chapters for Accompaniments, Sauces, Butters and Dressings, Seasonings, Stocks, Flours and Breadcrumbs complete Ralph Brennan’s New Orleans Seafood Cookbook.
“Ralph Brennan and his culinary team have written a truly eloquent, educational and historical cookbook on seafood and New Orleans cuisine,” Chef Paul Prudhomme, K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen Chef and Owner said. “The recipes and the photography are exceptional. Ralph is a true New Orleanian who has a deep passion for great food and unwavering devotion to the Crescent City.”
From the simple Barbecue Shrimp recipe to the complex—but so worth it—Crawfish Bisque, to the amusingly anecdotal headnotes to the straightforward, easy-to-read text and layout, Ralph Brennan’s New Orleans Seafood Cookbook defines New Orleans seafood cooking— past, present and future.
Ralph Brennan’s Seafood Cookbook is published by Vissi D’Arte Books of New Orleans and retails for $45.00. The book will be available April 9, 2008 at major booksellers and at www.ralphbrennancookbook.com.
The New Orleans-based Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group is owned and operated by Ralph Brennan and includes French Quarter restaurants BACCO and Red Fish Grill, Ralph’s on the Park in mid-City New Orleans and Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen at the Disneyland® Resort in Southern California. Each of these award-winning restaurants celebrates the cuisine and hospitality of classic and contemporary New Orleans and is staffed by a team of hardworking professionals dedicated ‘to making people happy’. For more information visit www.neworleans-food.com.
Contact: Lindsay Glatz
Deveney Communication
(504) 949-3999 or
lglatz@deveney.com
Joel Mandina
Deveney Communication
504-949-3999
jmandina@deveney.com
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