Tales of Tailgating: Laissez les bons temps rouler!!

Next week, we have another home game and along with that comes another fun time tailgating. We haven't done cajun food for a few years so we think it's high time to "let the good times roll"! To spark menu ideas, I've gotten several books from the local library. What's fun about these books is the storytelling that comes with the recipes. Cajun country breeds great food and also great storytellers!

Eula Mae's Cajun Kitchen - lovely stories of life on Avery Island, the home of Tabasco sauce. I would like to make her Shrimp and Sausage gumbo but I'm not sure that's the right one for the tailgate.

Louisiana Real and Rustic - much simpler recipes than I expected from the master chef, Emeril. Plenty of ideas to work with here.

Brennan's of Houston in Your Kitchen - Oh, how I miss Brennan's of Houston. It burned down last year during Hurrican Ike. This was the place we loved to go for special occasions because the old world atmosphere mixed with perfect service and beautiful food was not like anywhere else. The crab cakes that my mother had at lunch one day were memorable!! I haven't had crab that tasted like that since I was a child and we went crabbing on the Gulf Coast. I enjoyed reading the cookbook, but the recipes were more geared to fine dining than the more rustic food I need for the tailgate.

Arnaud's Restaurant Cookbook - This was the most elegant looking cookbook from a historic New Orleans restuarant but I think it has some real gems in the recipes. Red Beans and Rice that "serves a crowd" sounds perfect!! A 2 gallon recipe for Sausage and Turkey Gumbo! The recipe for Creole Jambalaya is straight forward but does add the use of fish stock which might give this dish an added depth of flavor. Creamy Pralines is definitely one I am going to try out. I've made pralines plenty of times but this recipe gives more tips and insights on getting the sugar mixture cooked just right so that your pralines turn out perfect!