La Cuisine Creole: A Collection of Culinary Recipes from Leading Chefs and Noted Creole Housewives, Who Have Made New Orleans Famous for Its Cuisine (1885)

Published circa 1885, this pioneering work compiles the recipes of New Orleans in one volume. Celebrating the range of ethnic influences on Creole cuisine, the book contains recipes for many of the classic New Orleans dishes, including Gombo file, Bouille-abaisee, Courtbouillon, [and] Jambolaya, as well as those for desserts and mixed drinks. Originally published anonymously but widely accepted to have been written by Lafcadio Hearn, one of New Orleans greatest literary talents, it shows a more literary flair than most modern cookbooks. Because of that, La Cuisine Creole gives a feeling of the flavor, both culinary and cultural, of late-nineteenth century New Orleans.