Do you enjoy cajun and creole cooking? If you do, then you might enjoy Da Cajn Critter: The Lifestyles, the Rules, and Makin' Groceries. This book includes recipes with a Louisiana twist, from appetizers, to seafood dishes, to desserts and beyond.

Book Contents:

192 pages in total length, this book is divided into the following sections:

What is Da Cajn Critter?
Let's Get This Party Started (Appetizers)
Rise and Shine with Da Critter (Breads, Breakfasts, and Brunch)
Let us Entertain You (Soups, Salads, and Dressings)
The Main Event (Meats, Fowl, and More)
See Food and Eat It! (Seafood)
Sumptuous Sides (Vegetables, Potatoes, Pasta, and More)
They Saved the Best for Last (Desserts)
Lagniappe (A Little Something Extra)
Index
My Favorite Critter Recipes
Bio of the Author
Order Information

Da Cajn Critter begins with an introduction from the author, explaining why she enjoys cooking and what inspired her to write this cookbook. Next come the recipes and there are a total of seven tabbed sections for them. The final tabbed section, Lagniappe, includes some additional guides and some cooking humor.

The last sections of this cookbook include an index, a few blank pages to write down notes about your favorite recipes, and a short bio about the author. The book ends with the address, phone, and e-mail to contact the author for more information or to place an order for more books.

Final Thoughts:

Uncle Alan's After Thanksgiving Gumbo....Grilled Redfish Fillets....Aunt Vicki's Shrimp and Pasta Casserole- these and other recipes await you in the pages of Da Cajn Critter, a cookbook with New Orleans style recipes for good times and good fun. This cookbook covers all of the important food groups with extra sections at the end containing useful tips and good- natured humor to add to the book's enjoyment.

Author Pamela Lyles starts off the book by explaining why she loves to cook and how she came up with the book's title. She points out that she has always had a love of cooking and she feels that good food is the remedy to many of life's many trials and tribulations. She created this book using some recipes of her own as well as recipes from others that have been handed down over the years. Some of the recipes are a little more involved, but they are all much simpler than those of most other cookbooks. They give you a feeling of confidence when you read them because the instructions are generally short and simple. Some cookbooks spread recipes across multiple pages in order to list all the ingredient and properly explain the steps. This cookbook wants to keep cooking at a fun level, so it tries to avoid getting too complicated or too wordy.

In addition to the actual recipes, many readers will enjoy the final tabbed section, Lagniappe; or "A Little Something Extra". This section includes some practical tips, such as pairing wine with food; some history/trivia, such as the history of the King Cake; and some humor, such as Civil War: The North vs. the South, which explains how southerners and northerners pronounce things differently. Author Pamela Lyles wants the book to be fun, but she also wants readers to make tasty food and learn a little in the process. She accomplishes both in this and other sections.

Da Cajn Critter is organized well and each of the cooking sections has its own tab sheet (cardboard- like sheet, while the other sheets are paper) with a recap of the recipes written on the inside of the tab sheet. There are no page numbers for each recipe, so you will have to thumb through the pages until you find the one you want. This shouldn't be a problem for most people because those who enjoy cooking will likely want to take a quick glance at the other recipes. Extra tips/word of inspiration can be found on some pages, and they are easy to spot because they feature a small depiction of the cajn critter.

Even though I am not one who likes to cook, I like the recipes in this book and I like the author's enthusiasm and friendliness. One addition that could make the book better would be a few illustrations. As it stands, there are no illustrations of any recipes. Adding at least a few pictures would make a difference, since it is always nice to get an idea of what certain dishes will look like in the end. A few more recipes for drinks (along with a separate section for them) would also improve the book. Drink recipes are scarce in this book, usually found at the beginning or end of one of the other sections, if at all.   

Overall, Da Cajn Critter is a very nice little cookbook that now occupies a permanent space on our kitchen counter. The recipes in this book are generally simple and they cover a good cross- section of the different types of food and meals that are popular with Louisiana natives and other who love cajun cuisine. The book could be improved with a few small changes, but it is still good overall with a nice mixture of fun, practicality, and humor.  



Recommended: Yes