For someone who has never been to Louisiana, this is the perfect introductory book for understanding the food and culture of the state. With very creative recipes, there's something for everyone to make.

I do like Cajun food but never made any myself until recently. 

I find this cookbook is well done. Tons of great recipes.

Fresh from Louisiana by George Graham is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in mid-November.

With the recipes being arranged seasonally, there's a lot of interplay between seafood, veg, frying, and breading, all with a thick, simmered sauce. It all looks delicious, but also all the same in its stewed, browned richness.

Has some great sounding cajun recipes. I love Cajun food so these would definitely be a cookbook add for me.

I was provided this book by Netgalley for an honest review** 

George Grahm's cookbook Fresh from Louisiana provides Cajun and Creole recipes (both Savory and Sweet) sure to please. The recipes are meat-heavy, and the author even provides uses for rabbits in stews, which is a type of meat I have never tried. The recipe combinations were new to me - not sure if they are traditional fare as I am not familiar with Louisana cooking. 

I would purchase this book for friends and family interested in trying food that they may have never tasted or ventured to cook before. 

FYI, the pictures were amazing!

From the first recipe, you definitely feel the soul and heart of a true Native Louisiana. I love the stories that George plants throughout the book and also love how the book is broken down by season. The pictures also makes the recipes enticing to make. I also love that throughout the book, it really highlights things that makes Cajun and Creole food unique like crawfish and gumbo. There are very unique recipes and great tidbits sprinkled throughout the entire book. 

I would like to note that this is a very specific book for a specific reader who is open to Louisiana's cooking. As a result, some of the ingredients might be difficult for home chefs to find or have generally on hand. I would recommend this to readers who are looking for Cajun and Cereole food, but it's not necessarily everyday cooking.

This is a lovely Cajun and Creole cookbook that's quite heavy on meat and seafood (often less common variations). There are color photos of every recipe and lots of little side notes to teach you more about the regional flavors. Several reviewers complained that he calls for purchasing a seasoning mix, but I didn't see that. He generally calls for the Cajun seasoning mix on page 231, though a couple of times he says you can use a specific store bought seasoning or his recipe.

No nutritional information is provided.

Those outside of the region may have trouble finding some of the ingredients, but people who want some authentic new recipes are likely to enjoy it a great deal. I try to cook a lot healthier than this as a general rule and also don't have the kind of time commitment that many of the recipes call for right now so it's not a cookbook I'd be likely to use much, but it's one I'd recommend for those who are looking for these sorts of recipes.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

This is a neat little cookbook! I was excited to receive a copy, to say the least. Cajun cooking is my favorite, full stop. Personally I'm obsessed with the crab-stuffed portobello and the shrimp and tasso mac and cheese (I'm a sucker for any and all mac and cheese recipes). I'll probably be adding the Cajun rice bowl and the backyard beans to my regular meal prep rotation. Lots of satisfying and bright pictures accompany the recipes, and all of them sound delicious. Some ingredients might be a little harder to come by depending on where you're at (looking at you, ever-so-tempting rabbit gumbo), but there are plenty of recipes to choose from that are accessible to cooks at all levels.

Fresh from Louisiana by George Graham is such a great cookbook. I read cookbooks like a book and then I go back and start recreating. The stories and comments on the recipes were entertaining, The Lemon Thyme Chicken Breast with Cauliflower Mash was amazing! Low carb, tangy, and creamy – the perfect combination. Plenty of traditional south Louisiana recipes to keep this Cajun girl happy in the kitchen for months. 

***** I received an ARC from NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my honest review. *****

While some of the formatting on this book is incomplete, this is such an exciting book! I am so excited to try out several of these dishes myself. The photography is well done and helps me get a good picture of what my meals will aspire to look like. I'm especially excited to cook the Cajun Rice Bowl With Griddled Shrimp, the Gulf Shrimp Pasta Primavera, and the Pure Vegetable Soup! Thank you so much to the publisher and Negalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review!

Thank you for a copy of this book via netgalley!

what a beautiful way to represent such a great cooking culture! Beautiful pictures that are simplest mouth watery! Clear explanations including tips to be a better Louisiana cook!

Date reviewed (Canada) - November 8, 2020
Date reviewed (UK) - November 8, 2020
... I am bi-country at the moment

When life for the entire universe and planet turns on its end and like everyone else you "have nothing to do" while your place of work is once again closed and you are continuing to be in #COVID19 #socialisolation as the #secondwave is upon us,  superspeed readers like me can read 300+ pages/hour, so yes, I have read the book … and many more today.

I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley, the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review.  

From the publisher, as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews, I let them do it as they do it better than I do 😸.

Master the art of all the most delectable styles of Louisiana cooking, from Cajun to Creole, rural Acadiana to down-home New Orleans, in more than 100 easy-to-use recipes.

George Graham—a lifelong Louisianan, a former chef and restaurateur, and now an award-winning food writer and blogger—is a brilliant cook, a warm, funny, and engaging storyteller, and an ace photographer. He brings all these talents alive in Fresh from Louisiana, his second cookbook, following on the heels of his masterful Acadiana Table. George makes Louisiana cooking not just easy for home cooks to learn, but fun and interesting, too.

The recipes range from George's pitch-perfect versions of classic Louisiana dishes to imaginative, brand-new ideas that use the signature flavours of the region's cuisines in utterly new ways. You can start a glorious Louisiana meal with a Corn and Crab Bisque, a Crawfish Boil Chowder, or Mini Bell Peppers Stuffed with Crabmeat. For the main course, why not try a Pork Roast with Apple Pan Gravy, Crispy Chicken Thighs with Creole Jasmine Rice, or a Gulf Shrimp Pasta Primavera? There are lots of desserts, too, like Praline Pumpkin Pie, Macadamia Nut Ice Cream Sandwich, and Sweet Potato Pie Brûlée, plus sides, sandwiches, cooling drinks, and breakfast and brunch fare.
 
For soul-satisfying everyday dinners with the family to amazing weekend feasts with friends, this beautiful book—with more than 100 colour photos—brings the intriguing and delicious flavours of Louisiana home, wherever you might live.

I really wanted to adore this cookbook but it is hard to appreciate a book when the formatting is so bad that it is almost impossible to read. There were also issues with things like recommending a spice mix and then giving a link to where to buy it instead of perhaps making it yourself or an applicable alternative. DOn't expect me to pay for a book and then support other businesses per se (yes, I did not pay for this book but if I did, I would be ticked...sure I can google spice mixes or use the ubiquitous Old Bay but a cookbook should have recipes/alternatives, not kickback links!)

Ranta side, if you can get the needed ingredients, this will be a good cookbook in hard copy form- The recipes are well written and understandable by cooks of all levels and the photos make the food very appealing to myself and other lovers of food out there. (Although I did not see any of these "Acadian foods" when I was in Acadian=country in Quebec for a month!) What I love about the book is that it uses whole ingredients instead of pre-prepared and packaged foods. I do draw the line at making my own cheese, and canning tomatoes but the more "ingredients" you use the better.  

As always, I try to find a reason to not rate with stars as I simply adore emojis (outside of their incessant use by "🙏-ed Social Influencer Millennials/#BachelorNation survivors/Tik-Tok and YouTube  Millionaires/snowflakes etc. " on Instagram and Twitter... Get a real job, people!) so let's give it a #MOTR  (2.5 rounded up to 3) 🦞🦞🦞

Date reviewed (Canada) - November 8, 2020
Date reviewed (UK) - November 8, 2020
... I am bi-country at the moment

When life for the entire universe and planet turns on its end and like everyone else you "have nothing to do" while your place of work is once again closed and you are continuing to be in #COVID19 #socialisolation as the #secondwave is upon us,  superspeed readers like me can read 300+ pages/hour, so yes, I have read the book … and many more today.

I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley, the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review.  

From the publisher, as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews, I let them do it as they do it better than I do 😸.

Master the art of all the most delectable styles of Louisiana cooking, from Cajun to Creole, rural Acadiana to down-home New Orleans, in more than 100 easy-to-use recipes.

George Graham—a lifelong Louisianan, a former chef and restaurateur, and now an award-winning food writer and blogger—is a brilliant cook, a warm, funny, and engaging storyteller, and an ace photographer. He brings all these talents alive in Fresh from Louisiana, his second cookbook, following on the heels of his masterful Acadiana Table. George makes Louisiana cooking not just easy for home cooks to learn, but fun and interesting, too.

The recipes range from George's pitch-perfect versions of classic Louisiana dishes to imaginative, brand-new ideas that use the signature flavours of the region's cuisines in utterly new ways. You can start a glorious Louisiana meal with a Corn and Crab Bisque, a Crawfish Boil Chowder, or Mini Bell Peppers Stuffed with Crabmeat. For the main course, why not try a Pork Roast with Apple Pan Gravy, Crispy Chicken Thighs with Creole Jasmine Rice, or a Gulf Shrimp Pasta Primavera? There are lots of desserts, too, like Praline Pumpkin Pie, Macadamia Nut Ice Cream Sandwich, and Sweet Potato Pie Brûlée, plus sides, sandwiches, cooling drinks, and breakfast and brunch fare.
 
For soul-satisfying everyday dinners with the family to amazing weekend feasts with friends, this beautiful book—with more than 100 colour photos—brings the intriguing and delicious flavours of Louisiana home, wherever you might live.

I really wanted to adore this cookbook but it is hard to appreciate a book when the formatting is so bad that it is almost impossible to read. There were also issues with things like recommending a spice mix and then giving a link to where to buy it instead of perhaps making it yourself or an applicable alternative. DOn't expect me to pay for a book and then support other businesses per se (yes, I did not pay for this book but if I did, I would be ticked...sure I can google spice mixes or use the ubiquitous Old Bay but a cookbook should have recipes/alternatives, not kickback links!)

Ranta side, if you can get the needed ingredients, this will be a good cookbook in hard copy form- The recipes are well written and understandable by cooks of all levels and the photos make the food very appealing to myself and other lovers of food out there. (Although I did not see any of these "Acadian foods" when I was in Acadian=country in Quebec for a month!) What I love about the book is that it uses whole ingredients instead of pre-prepared and packaged foods. I do draw the line at making my own cheese, and canning tomatoes but the more "ingredients" you use the better.  

As always, I try to find a reason to not rate with stars as I simply adore emojis (outside of their incessant use by "🙏-ed Social Influencer Millennials/#BachelorNation survivors/Tik-Tok and YouTube  Millionaires/snowflakes etc. " on Instagram and Twitter... Get a real job, people!) so let's give it a #MOTR  (2.5 rounded up to 3) 🦞🦞🦞

What a beautiful book about cooking! Yes, it’s got tons of recipes but it’s also full of gorgeous pictures and writing about personal connections to the food. 
I like that Fresh From Louisiana is split into sections by season. It guides the reader to buy/cook more seasonal items and also makes a sort of sense as far as “theme”: heartier dishes in the winter months and lighter ones when it’s warm. There is a ton of seafood recipes, which is great for a carnivore who hosts some pescatarian friends for dinner! These dishes remind me of my southern roots while sometimes taking me out of my comfort zone ingredient-wise. It made me laugh that there’s beef in the “vegetable“ soup, my southern family did that too! 
Something I liked less was the recurrence of specialty ingredients; I get it, there isn’t a substitute for things like crawfish in Louisiana cooking, but the amount of recipes calling for specialty items makes me less likely to purchase. For example, there’s a “shrimp boil seasoning” used in many recipes that, instead of giving you a recipe to make the spice blend yourself, you’re just directed to a sources page of where to order it online. If I’m flipping through for something to cook the next day, that cancels out those recipes automatically because I’m not waiting for a bag of seasoning to ship to me. Also while my mouth appreciates the tons of seafood recipes, my wallet might not! The author encourages you to buy local and fresh, and for me and millions of others in landlocked states, you’re not going to have fresh, local seafood.
Overall I think it’s well written, well organized, and full of recipes I might try, but I’d be more likely to get it from a library than purchase because I am so unlikely to order the specialty ingredients needed for a good chunk of these recipes. 
(While I won’t let it affect my rating, it should be noted that the arc I received was just one long PDF file that was poorly formatted, making it very difficult to read. There were whole sections of more personal writing I couldn’t read because the lines of text overlapped, a double page spread included upside down, and I had to zoom in to read any of the pages on my device. I don’t think E-book is the best format for cookbooks and I’m sure it’s meant to be read as a physical copy, but I feel like I missed a chance to evaluate it more in-depth because of the poor formatting.)