Pascal’s Manale Cookbook

Pascal’s Manale is New Orleans’s second-oldest continuously operating family restaurant, and Tooker, host of the Louisiana Eats! radio program, gives the legendary restaurant its due in this solid collection. Tooker begins with an overview of the restaurant’s legacy (the Manale family emigrated from Sicily and opened their restaurant in 1913), complete with historical photos of the restaurant, meals, and the celebrities and local politicians who have dined there. The recipes are a combination of creole and Italian classics: red gravy, crawfish étouffée, tiramisu, and seafood gumbo bolstered by a dark roux with filé powder and okra. Culinary mashups include chicken and crab napoleon; prosciutto, peppers, and shrimp with bowtie pasta in a vodka sauce; Manale’s creamy grits, which incorporate green onions and Romano cheese; and the restaurant’s famous meatballs, made with hot sauce. While some of Manale’s signature dishes remain a secret, such as barbecue shrimp, Tooker offers enticing approximations. This books makes for a worthy addition to one’s cajun cookbook library. (Oct.)