New Orleans Kitchens: Recipes from the Big Easy Best Restaurants

Though heartfelt, Meyer's culinary guide to the dishes and art of her hometown falls short. A recipe tester and developer for Emeril Lagasse, Meyer depends too heavily on her own recipes and, aside from a few admirable exceptions (like Galatoire's Oysters Rockefeller and Trout Meuniere Amandine), includes too few classic recipes from classic restaurants (perhaps most stunning is the inclusion of just one gumbo recipe). Still, gems do emerge, such as Meyer's Mini Crawfish Pies, Galatoire's Shrimp Remoulade, La Cote Brasserie's Louisiana Oysters and Tequila Lime Granita, and Café Degas's decadent signature crepes, filled with mushrooms, asparagus and brandy-flamed crabmeat. Other dishes are hit and miss; instructions for Smoked Duck Breast Pain Perdu with Fontina Cheese and Cane Syrup are all too brief, and dishes like Community Coffee-Cured Pork Chop with Sweet Potato Gnocchi and Cedar-Smoked Tomato Puree are probably best left to the professionals. The art selection (generally paired one-to-one with recipes) is as varied as the food; the result is a wildly uneven collection that doesn't fulfill its promise.