Mosquito Supper Club: Cajun Recipes from a Disappearing Bayou by Melissa M. Martin

Mosquito Supper Club: Cajun Recipes from a Disappearing Bayou by Melissa M. Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: Every hour of the day, Louisiana loses a football field’s worth of land to the Gulf. And so before her hometown disappears entirely, chef Melissa Martin wants to document the recipes, ingredients, and customs of the Cajun people. Cocoderie, Louisiana, may soon no longer be listed on maps, but the incredible traditions of the region should remain. In the same way Zora Neale Hurston documented and shared oral histories of the South before its keepers passed on, Martin will tell the stories of her people. She has organized the book into 12 chapters highlighting the key ingredients of this cuisine—from shrimp and oysters to poultry and sugarcane—and the recipe and customs that surround each. The 100 recipes are for accessible home-cooked meals that readers can make on a weeknight or for a celebration—with stories to be savored along with the food. Each chapter is punctuated with an essay explaining the context for the ingredient, whether it’s picking and putting up blackberries each February to shrimping every August or celebrating Fat Tuesday with a king cake. This is a cookbook, but the underlying messages of heeding environmental warnings and highlighting the Cajun woman’s authority in the kitchen showcase the book’s compelling media hooks. Martin also documents the region’s traditions, from the Blessing of the Boats at the beginning of every fishing season to Mardi Gras and the many dozens of ways to make a Cajun gumbo.

I can't recall the last time I posted about a cook book, and I've been "reading" quite a few lately. This was one I checked out from the library back in April? I think? Then I realized that hey, why not blog about a cook book! It'll fit right in.

This Northern Girl adores Southern food and this cookbook was quite enjoyable to read. Like many cookbooks today, there is a story behind the recipes. This one captures a slice of Southern history, life on the bayou, and touches on the fragile ecosystem and environmentalism of Coastal activities.

I thought *most* of the recipes were fairly approachable, well written and flexible with ingredients and "how to". If you live in a coastal area, you will have better access to seafood options than say, someone who lives near the Canadian border in the middle of the continent (like me). For the non-seafood recipes, I noticed could get the majority of the ingredients at my local grocery store (I don't live in a major metropolitan area) and substitute what I couldn't.

I also noted the chef used both volume and weights (ie, cups and ounces). I really like that approach to cooking these days.

I was able to make the poached fish dish before I had to return the book to the library (could only check it out for two weeks - new release). It was probably the best poached fish I have ever made. So simple, so flavorful, so easy.

Bottom line - I am still on the fence about purchasing a copy. I would LOVE to try several more recipes, it's a gorgeous book, but the inability to get the recommended seafood, or even a close substitute, has me holding off. Might be a good option for a Holiday gift or Birthday idea tho.

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