Anyone have Hooks, Lies, & Alibis yet?

[Harry]

I got it for Christmas and have tried a few recipes. I like it a lot so far. The Encyclopedia of Cajun and Creole Cuisine doesn't do much for me but Hooks, Lies, & Alibis seems to have a lot of great recipes. I recommend it to anyone who cooks a lot of seafood and is looking to expand his repetoire.

[HungryC]

Is it yet another unwieldy coffee-table tome stuffed with superfluous photos? I tell ya, Folse must have an excellent cut-rate deal with a SE Asian printing company--you know he wouldn't keep cranking out those gift books if he wasn't making serious bank on 'em.

[lukestar]

I got my copy for Christmas also...Great book IMHO, HungaryC must really be from New Orleans. I have heard it told that New Orleaneans don't care for Folse...May be true. I think it is a great history book full of recipes and great stories. Folse is a great Louisianean historian and story teller. His cooking shows are the same, he doesn't just cook a meal he tells a story as he cooks it...

Edited January 26, 2010 by lukestar (log)

[HungryC]

I got my copy for Christmas also...Great book IMHO, HungaryC must really be from New Orleans.

No, baby, definitely NOT from New Orleans. Bayou born & raised. Folse is indeed a good storyteller. I just think that the books are a bit inflated. The "Encyclopedia" book's intro section reminded me of a junior-high LA history textbook. The graphic design & photography are a bit dated as well. I do think he's a brilliant businessman, a good chef, and a nice representative of LA. Endless kudos to him for kick-starting the 4-year culinary program at Nicholls State.

[Harry]

His books are definitely padded but this one seems to have a lot of great recipes. I would recommend it to anyone who lives on the Gulf coast. It's the best seafood cookbook I've seen since The Pleasures of Seafood by Richard and Rima Collin.