Tujague’s Cookbook Takes You There
“Tujague’s is truly a neighborhood restaurant, located in
America’s oldest neighborhood—the French Quarter. . . . This is one of the
things that makes New Orleans so special and is indicative of the important
role restaurants play in our culture.”
—Poppy
Tooker, Tujague’s Cookbook
By Doc Lawrence
NEW ORLEANS-My first visit to the French Quarter was
way back when I was a very innocent 17 year-old aimlessly walking around before
marching with a military drill team the next day in a parade. A nice lady from
Germany took a lost soul under her wings and led me to a grand restaurant on
Decatur Street, force-feeding me a whiskey punch cocktail and sharing stunning
shrimp and oysters. Drawn back by the charm of the city many times, one memory
sticks out: Tujague’s, a landmark American restaurant.
Like so much of the French Quarter, this institution escaped
the wrecking ball and Katrina and we who don’t live there are rewarded because
much of the culinary glory is preserved in print, particularly through the
handiwork of author Poppy Tooker and her wonderfully written and skillfully
produced Tujague’s Cookbook (Pelican Publishing, Gretna, La.)
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There are many excellent restaurants in the Quarter, but few
have such venerable ancestral lines. Founded by immigrant butchers, Tujague’s,
according to Ms. Tooker, has stayed true to the spirit and continuity of this
unique neighborhood, keeping a kinship to the fruits of the abundant waters and
the cooking styles of the melting pot culture.
Authenticity is a hallowed ethic here and even with the new
celebrity chefs and the influences of popular culture in America, the deeper
roots of New Orleans kitchens pay homage to early cooks who used what was at
hand and evolved everything into a distinct culinary heritage that never stales
yet is always evolving.
If you’ve dined at Tujague’s or any of the older classic
restaurants in the Quarter, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
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Creole Cream Cheese Pie |
Paul Prudhomme and John Folse through their cookbooks,
celebrity appearances on television and countless cooking demonstrations did
much to promote appreciation for the food served in South Louisiana restaurants
and thus became our teachers.. The language and nomenclature once very
daunting, was simplified, a masterful undertaking that brought the gift of this
remarkable cuisine and bedrock recipes into home kitchens coast to coast. Gumbo
and jambalaya suddenly found companions like courtbouillion, andouille sausage
and the many ways to enjoy oysters.
Likewise, Poppy Tooker takes the mystery out of the exciting
recipes from Tujague’s anthology with a huge array of recipes where authentic
ingredients are today easily obtainable, presenting them in a way that inspires
even the beginner to go get some groceries and start cooking up some Oysters
Benedict with Tujague’s Buttermilk Biscuits. For lunch, let’s have Sautéed
Shrimp and Okra with Smoked Sausage. Wines? The meals become elevated with a
bottle of Gevrey Chambertin, one of Napolean’s favorites, and Cru Chablis,
which Ernest Hemingway loved with oysters.
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Cocktails were born in the French Quarter and as a bonus for
readers, Ms. Tooker tells the story of the green fairy, Antoine Peychaud and
the Sazerac. Home entertaining usually includes cocktails and wines, and as her
book demonstrates, sophisticated beverages owe homage to New Orleans. The
recipes include the frothy Grasshopper, a delicious cocktail that, like Whiskey
Punch, originated at Tujague’s.
Tujague’s Cookbook
has some muscle and a whole lot of depth. A beautiful production with a vast
selection of ancient and contemporary photographs, it would be a terrific gift
for Father’s Day, any birthday or for yourself if you long to get back to the
basics of good cooking and meaningful entertaining.
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