A celebration of New Orleans cookery offers three hundred seafood recipes and includes anecdotes and folklore that trace the development of Cajun and Creole cooking " . . . hugely influential for me and my budding culinary peers of the time . . . both [Mitcham] and his books were fascinating depositories of recipes, recollections, history, folklore and illustrations, drawing on his abiding love for humble, working-class ethnic food of the area."-Anthony Bourdain"Creole Gumbo is more than a cookbook. It is a history book, a music lesson and a personality profile of great jazzmen."-Today"A delightful book with excellent recipes . . . "-New York TimesHere's a dazzling array of photos, foods, and far-out folklore, spiced up with tidbits of jazz history and lyrics-all gathered into a seafood cookbook that celebrates the world-famous cuisine of New Orleans. Author Howard Mitcham traces the development of sophisticated Creole cooking and its rambunctious country cousin, Cajun cooking, with innumerable anecdotes, pictures, and recipes.Mitcham offers more than three hundred enticing dishes, from crab gumbo and shrimp-oyster jambalaya to barbecued red snapper and trout amandine. Along the way, he offers a list of substitutes for seafood that may be hard to find, a bibliography, and a guide to the best mail-order seafood markets in New Orleans.Howard Mitcham, renowned chef, poet, artist, and raconteur, practiced the inventive art of New Orleans cuisine for three decades. The Melting Pot 1(22) The Appurtenances of the Art 23(16) Gumbo, Jambalaya, and Other Classic Soups and Stews 39(24) The Succulent Shrimp 63(28) The Crab: Incredible Crustacean 91(32) Hymn of Praise to the Oyster 123(32) Hail to the Crawdad! 155(18) The Fishes---If It Swims, We Can Cook It! 173(68) Delicious Denizens of the Swamp: Frogs, Turtles, and Alligators 241(18) Shopping Mart 259(2) A Note on Fish Substitutions 261(2) Bibliography 263(2) Index 265