Ralph Brennan Group Launches New Orleans Seafood Cookbook

Any visitor to New Orleans has surely tasted and loved a seafood gumbo, a shrimp remoulade, or any number of the innovative seafood dishes turned out nightly by the city's talented cadre of creative restaurant chefs. Now, home cooks and chefs everywhere can bring these vibrant flavors home, thanks to third-generation restaurateur, Ralph Brennan, and his culinary team, who have created the definitive guide to New Orleans seafood with their new cookbook, RALPH BRENNAN'S NEW ORLEANS SEAFOOD COOKBOOK (Vissi d'Arte Books; April 2008; hardcover/$45.00; ISBN: 978-0-9709336-8-3). Four years in the making (including a nine-month hiatus in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina), this beautiful, full-color cookbook was created by the perfect storm of Louisiana talent including Ralph Brennan, his five talented chefs (representing Red Fish Grill, BACCO, Ralph's on the Park, and Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen), veteran writer and editor Gene Bourg, and acclaimed photographer Kerri McCaffety.

"In New Orleans, cuisine is a great leveler- home cooks can be just as passionate about our food culture as the high-profile chefs in a fine-dining establishment," says Brennan. "We created this book to demystify seafood and provide everyone the opportunity to create unique New Orleans seafood recipes at home."

To achieve this goal, each detailed recipe was painstakingly prepared and triple-tested in home kitchens to ensure dishes come out authentic and delicious, every time. Within the book's 432 pages, home cooks will find iconic recipes such as:
Trout Amandine
Oysters Rockefeller
Barbecue Shrimp
Grilled Redfish and Fried Green Tomatoes with Ravigote Sauce and Hot Butter Sauce

Other recipes in RALPH BRENNAN'S NEW ORLEANS SEAFOOD COOKBOOK prepare Gulf seafood the way Ralph Brennan's restaurants serve it- with a contemporary twist. These recipes include:
Crawfish Ravioli
Barbecue Oysters with Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce
Crabmeat Lasagna with Crab-&-Chanterelle Butter Sauce
Crawfish Springrolls

And what cookbook would be complete without desserts? New Orleans is also known for its unique confections, including these favorites showcased by Ralph Brennan:
Creole Cream Cheese Cheesecake with Caramel Sauce & Roasted Pecans
Chocolate Bread Pudding with Two Chocolate Sauces & Almond Bark
Lemon Icebox Pie
Fluffy Sweet-Potato Pie
Creole Red Velvet Roulade with Caf�-Br�lot Cr�me Anglaise

RALPH BRENNAN'S NEW ORLEANS SEAFOOD COOKBOOK is set apart from other seafood-focused cookbooks by a section called "A Seafood Cook's Manual." This comprehensive guide to Gulf seafood covers everything from finfish, crabs, crawfish, shrimp, oysters, frog legs, and even alligator. Brennan and his staff also provide extensive tips and advice, and illustrated step-by-step instructions on handling, storing, and preparing raw seafood. A complete list of premier local and national vendors of seafood, spices, condiments, and cocktails is included to provide home chefs with the key ingredients needed to create the authentic flavors and tastes of New Orleans.

For regions and seasons in which typical New Orleans fare is unavailable, the book provides recommendations on substituting regional specialties native to the home cook's territory. This novel approach allows home cooks to combine the flavors of New Orleans with the freshest, local ingredients- a time-honored principle of Ralph Brennan's kitchens.

"New Orleans has a unique culture of food, music, and history, plus a joie de vivre not found anywhere else in the U.S.," Brennan explains. "Our cuisine generates a passion and