NEW ORLEANS – “Tujague's Cookbook – Creole Recipes and Lore in the New Orleans Grand Tradition,” by New Orleans author and culinary historian Poppy Tooker, will be published by Pelican Press on Tuesday, October 27, 2015.
An invitation-only book release and author signing party will take place from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. at Tujague’s, 823 Decatur St., on Tuesday.
Tooker takes readers on a journey through 160 years of Tujague’s – the second oldest restaurant in New Orleans. From eerie ghost stories and dramatic events to a look at the oldest standup bar in America and the menus that created the international tradition that is brunch, Tujague's Cookbook is a foray into history with food and drink recipes from the 1850s to today, along with memorabilia from the restaurant’s archives and photographs from Sam Hanna and Louis Sahuc.
“Tujague’s is truly a neighborhood restaurant, located in America’s oldest neighborhood – the French Quarter,” Tooker said. “Its story needed to be told, its recipes shared, and its history remembered. I’m honored to be the voice to do it.”
In a continuation of the research begun for her first project with Pelican, “Mme. Bégué’s Recipes of Old New Orleans Creole Cookery,” Tooker combines all the myriad strands that fill the rooms of Tujague’s restored establishment into a whole cloth of foodie lore, and provides an intimate look at the history and family behind one of New Orleans’ defining restaurants.
This collection of close to 100 recipes, each with a story behind it, showcases quintessential New Orleans creole cookery, such as Chicken Bon Femme, Shrimp Remoulade with ½ & ½ sauce, Trout Meunière Amandine, Fried Soft Shell Crabs with Creole Corn Macque Choux and Classic Bread Pudding with Holiday Cranberry Sauce. Cocktails, served at the oldest standup bar in America, whose guests included former Presidents Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower, feature classics such as Pimm’s Cup, Sazerac, Whiskey Punch and the Grasshopper, which was created at Tujague’s.
Author Tooker hosts the popular weekly radio show Louisiana Eats! Her classical training and love of New Orleans cuisine has been recognized globally through her participation in various documentary projects, and she competed on Throwdown with Bobby Flay, where her seafood gumbo was deemed better than his.
The International Association of Cooking Professionals recognized Tooker with their first Community Service Award, and Southern Living magazine named her a Hero of the New South.
A writer for many publications, Tooker informs readers on the importance of reviving foods that are pivotal to the Louisiana and New Orleans culture. Her previous book “Louisiana Eats!: The People, the Food, and Their Stories,” a companion to her radio show, received the Literary Award of the Year in 2014 from the Louisiana Library Association.
Tooker lives and cooks in New Orleans.
Tujague’s Cookbook will be available at independent book retailers, Barnes & Noble and Amazon for $34.95.
