Some cooking carries a whole way of life inside it. Louisiana's does.

In this second book of the 50 States Gathering Table series, Waverly Finch captures the bold, generous heart of Louisiana cooking — the kind of food that fills French Quarter kitchens, bayou back porches, and Mardi Gras tables from New Orleans to Breaux Bridge. These 50 recipes are a love letter to a state that takes its food more seriously than almost anywhere else on earth.

Learn to build a dark Cajun roux from scratch — the foundation of a proper gumbo. Simmer a pot of red beans and rice the New Orleans way, low and slow on a Monday. Pile a plate with crawfish étouffée, rich with butter and the Holy Trinity. And finish with New Orleans beignets — pillowy, golden, and buried in powdered sugar.
With stories woven between the recipes and techniques that honor the tradition, this book brings Louisiana's gathering table home to your kitchen.

50 recipes. One beautiful state. Pull up a chair.