Transcript
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#ULINARY 4RADITIONS OF THE #RESCENT #ITY
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Culinary Traditions of the Crescent City 1708 1718
1782
An attempt to grow wheat at the tip of Bayou St. John proves unsuccessful due to the area’s heat and humidity. The first Christmas in New Orleans is celebrated with deer, quail, snipe, and wild duck, along with wild turkey, which is in great abundance. Native Americans provide grain and vegetables, and the ship Neptune, recently arrived in port, provides red wine, white wine, and brandy. Spanish authorities complete New Orleans’s first covered market—a meat market.
1794– Étienne Boré plants the first commercially 1796 viable crop of sugar cane on the site of
Audubon Park and successfully granulates sugar, laying the foundation for Louisiana’s sugar industry.
1799
The Hotel d’Orléans is the first recorded hotel to open in New Orleans and has a restaurant seating 200 patrons.
1821
John James Audubon visits the French Market and describes numerous species of game birds, which he uses as models for his paintings.
1822
The Vegetable Market is built as part of the French Market, and later enlarged in 1830.
1836– The St. Mary’s Market and Poydras Market 1838 are established above Canal Street, and
the Washington Market is established in the Faubourg Marigny. These are the first public markets to be established after the French Market.
1837
The free barroom lunch is introduced at the luxurious St. Louis Hotel, and such free lunches remain popular until Prohibition in the 1920s.
1840
The Fish Market and Wild Game Market are built in the French Market adjacent to the Vegetable Market.
1840
Frenchman Antoine Alciatore opens a boarding house on St. Louis Street and is later credited with inventing souffléed potatoes and pompano en papillote.
1868
Antoine’s Restaurant is established in its current St. Louis Street location. Still in operation today, it is the nation’s oldest family-run restaurant.
1869
Schwegmann’s Grocery and Bar opens at the corner of Burgundy and Piety Streets.
1870
The Bazaar Market—specializing in dry goods—is built as part of the French Market.
1880
Emile Commander opens Commander’s Palace Restaurant at the corner of Washington Avenue and Coliseum Street.
1880s/ Large-scale rice cultivation shifts to 1890s southwest Louisiana from South Carolina, Georgia, and the Mississippi River Valley.
1884– The World’s Industrial and Cotton Centennial 1885 Exposition, held in Audubon Park, brings international attention to New Orleans, its culture, and its food.
1885
La Cuisine Creole, heralded as the “first regional American cookbook,” is published by Lafcadio Hearn.
1899
Jules Alciatore, proprietor of Antoine’s, creates Oysters Rockefeller with a sauce so rich it is named for millionaire John D. Rockefeller.
1899
Conrad Kolb opens Kolb’s German Restaurant at 125 St. Charles Avenue. Its intricate system of ceiling fans comes from the 1884 World’s Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition.
1901
To prevent competition with public markets, the city enacts a law prohibiting private grocery stores from opening within nine blocks of a market.
1905
Frenchman Jean Galatoire opens Galatoire’s Restaurant at 209 Bourbon Street.
1911
The 34th, and last, of the city’s public markets opens.
1917
The legendary Begué’s Restaurant closes after having been in operation for more than 35 years.
1918
Frenchman “Count” Arnaud Cazenave opens Arnaud’s Restaurant at 813 Bienville Street.
1919
Piggly-Wiggly, America’s first national selfserve grocery chain—founded in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1916—appears for the first time in a New Orleans City Directory, with seven franchise locations.
1920
Frenchman Joseph Broussard opens Broussard’s Restaurant at 819 Conti Street.
1920
Through a donation from William Ratcliffe Irby, Tulane University acquires and renovates the grand Paul Morphy House at 417 Royal Street and rents it to the Patio Royal, a popular restaurant of the 1920s–40s.
1929
A major streetcar strike leaves many drivers low on funds. The owners of Martin Brothers Restaurant in the French Market (former streetcar workers themselves) offer free sandwiches to their union brothers, reduced by the strike to “poor boys.”
1938
Curators’ Comments
Electronic resources enhance the flavor of the show. Visitors may sample video clips and podcasts, participate in a recipe exchange, and browse culinary websites. The local food scene also comes to life in a special video commissioned for the exhibition, We Live to Eat: New Orleans’s Love Affair with Food. A short version is on view in the exhibition gallery; the full-length (30-minute) program is regularly screened in the orientation center, across the carriageway. In preparing this exhibition, we have been reminded that urban tables are fed, both literally and figuratively, by rural gardens. Crops come to market; folks and folkways come to town, intermingling in the city streets. Creole cuisine, so intimately associated with the city of New Orleans, had its earliest stirrings in the central Louisiana settlement of Natchitoches. The film A Common Pot: Creole Cooking on Cane River, with regular screenings in the orientation center, provides a welcome regional perspective. Three items near the entrance to the exhibition galleries—an iron pot, a cookbook, and a painting—also nod in the direction of Natchitoches. Each item is associated with Clementine Hunter, the self-taught painter who worked a “day job” as cook at Melrose Plantation. Her kettle, her recipes, and her creative spirit remain with us, today, as evidence of the ingenuity and indomitability of the Creole tradition.
The Original Fabacher’s Restaurant, Oyster House and Hotel by J. Earl Rogers, publisher, ca. 1910 (94-743-RL)
The French Market complex is rebuilt with the assistance of the PWA (Public Works Administration).
1946
Schwegmann Brothers Giant Supermarket opens on St. Claude near Elysian Fields.
1948
Dinner at Antoine’s, by popular novelist Frances Parkinson Keyes, is published.
1956
Owen Brennan moves Brennan’s Restaurant from Bourbon Street to its current 417 Royal Street location in the Paul Morphy House.
The cuisine that defines New Orleans today has been nearly three centuries in the making. Consider What’s Cooking in New Orleans? an appetizer: an introduction to the complex cultural, economic, and social factors that have shaped the Crescent City’s culinary traditions. The materials gathered here—cookbooks, menus, photographs, and other memorabilia—span the 18th through the mid-20th centuries, with an array of kitchen gadgets carrying the storyline right up to the present day.
Lucky Dog Vendor on Iberville by Josephine Sacabo, photographer, 1976 (1976.128.12)
John H. Lawrence Pamela D. Arceneaux Susan R. Laudeman John Magill Gerald Patout
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Food Traditions of Louisiana Cultural historians divide Louisiana into three major regions—North
traditions of different cultural groups mingled. Both use a regional variant of
Louisiana, Acadiana, and New Orleans—each with a distinct food tradition
the culinary “Holy Trinity”—chopped green peppers, onions, and celery—for the
shaped by different settlement patterns.
start of most dishes, and filé powder to thicken gumbo.
North Louisiana includes the parishes north of the French Triangle—a region
The city of New Orleans is most often associated with the tradition of Creole
roughly bounded by Alexandria to the north, New Orleans to the southeast, and
cooking. The term Creole comes from the Spanish criollo, a name originally
Port Arthur to the southwest—and the parishes north of Lake Pontchartrain in
given to people of European descent who were born in French or Spanish
the “toe of the boot.” Combining British and African culinary influences, North
colonies in the New World. The term has evolved over the years and has come
Louisiana fare is more closely aligned with the cuisine of the American South
to embrace other ancestries—and other ancillary meanings. Combining French,
than it is with the Cajun cuisine of South Louisiana or the Creole cuisine of
Spanish, African, Native American, German, English, and Italian traditions,
New Orleans—although the Cane River area boasts a long Creole tradition.
Creole cuisine was altered with each wave of immigration to New Orleans.
Both Cajun and Creole cooking have evolved over centuries as the unique
Known for its delicate balance of herbs, spices, and sauces that enhance
Tabasco Brand Whole Okra and Tomatoes by Walle & Co., Ltd., lithographer, before 1929 (1979.369.63)
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Cookin out 1976; oil on canvas by Clementine Hunter, painter gift of Dr. Robert F. Ryan 1985.128.3
the flavors of the ingredients rather than camouflaging them, Creole cuisine was firmly established by 1830. To this day, it emphasizes the use of butter, cream, tomatoes, wheat flour, rich stocks, roux, and fresh herbs. Cajuns are the descendants of French settlers who were forced to leave Acadia in
Iron kettle having belonged to Clementine Hunter early 20th century; cast iron by an unknown manufacturer courtesy of Charlotte Knipmeyer
Melrose Plantation Cookbook by François Mignon and Clementine Hunter courtesy of Charlotte Knipmeyer
Canada in the mid-18th century. Because they refused to take an oath of allegiance to the British, they were expelled, and many settled west of New Orleans in an isolated area of swamps and bayous. Combining French and Southern culinary traditions, Cajun cooking’s hearty, country-style specialties are its slow-cooked, one-pot dishes served over rice, particularly its étouffées—a French term for a cooking method of “smothering” or “suffocating” food in a tightly covered pot over very low heat. Relying heavily on locally available wild life from the swamps and bayous, Cajun cooking incorporates more pork and dark roux made from animal fat or lard, in contrast to the butter and cream sauces used in Creole cooking. Elements of culinary traditions from across Louisiana have combined to form the basis of “New Orleans cuisine.” Only in recent years has crawfish, a distinctly Cajun ingredient, become widely available, and embraced, in old-line Creole restaurants. Many diners may not realize that Louisiana’s three distinctive cuisines developed independently—and that not long ago one had to visit Acadiana for Cajun food, New Orleans for Creole food, and North Louisiana for more traditional Southern fare. Today all three cuisines, and various combinations thereof, may be found within walking distance of one another in New Orleans.
Left: Place d’Armes by C. H. Edwards, delineator, ca. 1850 (1965.91.1 i) Opposite page: La Cuisine Creole by Lafcadio Hearn, 1885 (77-288-RL)
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VENDORS The Turkey-Peddler in New Orleans— Selecting the Christmas Dinner from Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper December 12, 1885; wood engraving by Hyde, engraver 1983.187
To Market
Place d’Armes/Choctaws ca. 1850; pencil and watercolor on paper by C. H. Edwards, delineator 1965.91.1 i,ii
“Blackberries” “Vegetables” ca. 1940; mechanical reproduction by Corrina Morgiana Luria, delineator gift of Boyd Cruise 1959.2.348; .350
The Old Praline Woman ca. 1945; ink and pencil on paper by Paul Ashbrook, delineator 1983.123.15
Praline Seller ca. 1920; color halftone by an unknown publisher gift of Helen Kimball 1979.316.4
“Tante Clementine” the Praline Vendor February 1, 1929; mechanical reproduction by George Frederick Castelden, delineator/publisher gift of William P. Filby 1983.110
Story of the Praline by Léda H. Plauché New Orleans: The Green Orchid, ca. 1940 gift of the Wyoming Historical and Geological Society 80-454-RL
Tante Anne Mathieu, Cabildo, New Orleans 1922; ink on paper by Margaret Dashiell, delineator gift of Joseph Rubinfine 2002.70
Vegetable Man at S. Claiborne and Nashville Roman Candy Man Lucky Dog Vendor on Iberville 1976; photoprints by Josephine Sacabo, photographer 1976.128.9; .8; .12
Food has been bought and sold along the New Orleans riverfront for centuries. A long-established Native American trading site, the high ground along the Mississippi became the primary gathering spot for food vendors in early French New Orleans. In 1782, in response to complaints of price gouging, Spanish authorities erected the city’s first covered market along the river at Dumaine Street. Nine years later, the meat market was relocated to Decatur Street, between Dumaine and St. Ann. In 1813 Jacques Tanesse, a city surveyor, designed the Butchers’ Market, or Halle des Boucheries, to replace earlier buildings that had been destroyed by hurricane and fire. This structure stands today and continues to house the French Market’s oldest tenant, Café du Monde. From its original site, the market expanded downriver, its rented stalls and wandering street vendors forming the core of Crescent City marketing for more than a century. Patronized by many nationalities and selling foods exotic to most American tastes, the crowded, noisy French Market became a prime tourist attraction. Notable were Native Americans selling baskets and herbs. Sundays were especially busy market days, an oddity remarked upon by out-of-towners accustomed to businesses closing in observance of the Sabbath. Through the late 19th and early 20th centuries, smaller markets sprang up across the city. By the time the last went up in 1911, New Orleans boasted more than 30 publicly owned markets, more than any other large American city. Public markets bolstered a healthy urban infrastructure: a new market typically attracted satellite shops and served as a keystone in the creation of a thriving business district. But the heyday of the public markets was coming to an end. The spread of private grocery stores foreshadowed the coming of the supermarkets with their array of national products. Clean and refrigerated, private groceries enticed customers away from the old-fashioned, often unkempt markets. To compete, public markets—including the French Market—were rebuilt in the 1920s and 30s, but to no avail. Some passed into private hands, others were converted to different retail uses, while others were torn down. In the 1970s the French Market Corporation administered the first major renovations since work done by the Public Works Administration in the 1930s, historically reconstructing portions of the old market and converting the open stalls into retail shops and boutiques.
French Market/Veg. Market on Decatur by Boyd Cruise, delineator, after 1938 (1971.113.1), bequest of Richard Koch
FRENCH MARKET French Market Scene 1889; watercolor on board by Ellsworth Woodward, delineator 1961.64.1
The Bazaar, Sunday Morning— The Celebrated French Market from Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper September 14, 1867; wood engraving by James Earl Taylor, delineator; B. G. H. S., engraver 1982.93
Noon on Sunday at the French Market from Harper’s Weekly August 18, 1866; pencil and wash on paper by Alfred Rudolph Waud, delineator 1965.13
The New Orleans Market—Soldiers Exchanging Rations for Fruit, etc. from Harper’s Weekly January 24, 1863; wood engraving by an unknown artist gift of Harold Schilke and Boyd Cruise 1959.184.17
Indian Gumbo Sellers, French Market ca. 1870; pencil and wash on paper by Frank Hamilton Taylor, delineator gift of Mr. and Mrs. Albert L. Lieutaud 1950.56
Barbue/Poisson Armé/Spatule Chasse Général du Chevreauil Feves/Butes de Patates Salsafras from Histoire de la Louisiane by Antoine Simone le Page du Pratz; L’Aine De Bure, publisher 1758; engravings 1980.205.29 i-iii; .23; .4 i,ii; .10
Market Scenes in New Orleans from Every Saturday July 22, 1871; wood engraving by Samuel S. Kilburn Jr., engraver gift of Harold Schilke and Boyd Cruise 1953.93 i-iii French Market Fruit Stand by Charles L. Franck Photographers, ca. 1920 (1979.325.3963)
Plan of Fruit Market by William H. Bell, surveyor, 1871 (1950.5.100 i-iii)
French Market by Clarence Millet, painter, bet. 1927 and 1939 (1961.75), gift of Charles H. Reinike
PRIVATE GROCERY STORES Wid. J. Thibaut Family Grocery ca. 1890; watercolor by Richard Fourchy; delineator gift of Marion O’Toole in memory of Juanita Elfert 1996.95
Jackson Square Grocery—535 St. Ann 1920s; photoprint by Georges François Mugnier, photographer copy by Stephen Duplantier, 1976 1976.176.2
Typical Italian Fruit Stand ca. 1905; color halftone by Curt Teich & Co., publisher 1974.25.41.156
French Market Fruit Stand ca. 1920; photoprint by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.3963
Plan of Fruit Market 1871; ink and watercolor by William H. Bell, surveyor 1950.5.100 i-iii
French Market 1909; pencil on paper by John Rutherford Boyd, delineator 1990.17
French Market/Veg. Market on Decatur
Poydras Market— Poydras at Dryades (O’Keefe) ca. 1890; copper etching printed 1979 by Ellsworth Woodward, engraver; Dorothy F. Gardner, printer 1979.22.2
NATIONAL CHAINS & MERCHANDISING How Biddy Served the Tomatoes Undressed bet. 1878 and 1879; watercolor by Edward Jump, painter 1949.23
Buy Your Groceries at the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. (Incorporated): 2038 Magazine Street
ca. 1910; color halftone by C. B. Mason, publisher 1981.350.228
New Orleans: Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, 1911 83-593-RL
Garden District Bakery Jos. Degelmann…
Schwartz Foundry Co. with St. Mary’s Market—N. and S. Diamond Streets
bet. 1887 and 1894; color lithograph by an unknown lithographer 1958.2.156
Brer Rabbit’s Modern Recipes for Modern Living
ca. 1910; photoprint with watercolor by an unknown photographer gift of Mrs. James P. Ewin Jr. 1984.106.19
St. Roch Market—St. Claude at St. Roch May 1994; photoprint by Jan White Brantley, photographer 1994.138.14
C. N. Maestri Market
OTHER PUBLIC MARKETS
1952; photoprint by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.44
A Busy Corner Royal & Canal Sts.
French Market
bet. 1840 and 1850; oil on canvas by Louis Develle, painter 1948.1
Bakery at Schwegmann Bros. Giant Supermarket
ca. 1895; watercolor and gouache on board by Jules Guerin, delineator 1980.217
Ewing Market—Magazine at Octavia
French Market and Red Store
by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.4040
The Old Poydras Market, New Orleans
after 1938; watercolor on paper by Boyd Cruise, delineator bequest of Richard Koch 1971.113.1 bet. 1927 and 1939; oil on canvas mounted to wooden panel by Clarence Millet, painter gift of Charles H. Reinike 1961.75
Schwegmann Bros. Giant Supermarket— Airline at Labarre Road 1950s; photoprint
1940s; photoprint by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.3962 1940s; photoprint by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.3975
Circle Food Store— N. Claiborne at St. Bernard November 14, 1954; photoprint by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.3958
St. Bernard Market— N. Claiborne at St. Bernard January 18, 1949; photoprint by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.3987
Sign for Butcher—Bull and Cowhand bet. 1870 and 1900; cast iron by an unknown manufacturer 1957.60
New Orleans: Penick & Ford, Ltd., [1930s?] 87-043-RL
Shaw’s Confectionary and Restaurant bet. 1888 and 1893; color lithograph by an unknown lithographer 1958.2.128
H. G. Hill Store, Carrollton Avenue near Bienville January 14, 1941; photoprint by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.4018
Canal Villere Food Store—1539 Canal 1940s; photoprint by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.4006
A. M. & J. Solari—Royal at Iberville 1940; photoprint by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.39
McKenzie’s Pastry Shoppe April 1954; photoprint by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.4030
Pap’s Food Store— 3143 St. Claude Avenue August 16, 1951; photoprints by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.4035; .4037 Circle Food Store—N. Claiborne at St. Bernard by Charles L. Franck Photographers, November 14, 1954 (1979.325.3958)
How to Cook Rice by the Louisiana Rice Exhibit, New Orleans
School Children Eating Kellogg’s Cereal
New York: H. R. Elliot & Co., [1910s?] 89-436-RL
1950s; photograph by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.4104
The Secret of Creole Cooking
A Campbell Kid
New Iberia, La.: B. F. Trappey’s Sons, 1978; 15th ed. gift of Pamela D. Arceneaux 96-494-RL
ca. 1915; pencil and watercolor by Grace G. Drayton, delineator gift of Mrs. Edmund B. Richardson 1993.71.192
Armour Meat Display at Canal Villere August 31, 1953; photoprint by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.4007
Bisquick, Pyequick and Godchaux’s Sugar Display at Venice Garden Market— Washington at S. Claiborne June 8, 1950; photoprint by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.4048
Swift’s Chicken Display—H. G. Hill, 806 Metairie Road 1950s; photoprint by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.4025
Morton Frozen Pie Display and John Schwegmann at Schwegmann Bros. Giant Supermarket—Airline at Labarre Road 1950s; photoprint by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.4044
Jackson Square Grocery—535 St. Ann by Georges François Mugnier, photographer, 1920s; copy by Stephen Duplantier, 1976 (1976.176.2)
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Dining habits in colonial Louisiana evolved through complex cultural interactions. Melons, beans, squash, nuts, wild game, and seafood—staples in the diet of local
LOUISIANA FOODS AND PRODUCTS
Native Americans, who were critical suppliers of foodstuffs to the colonists—
Woman’s Club Brand Molasses
gradually entered the European diet. Other crops, such as rice and okra, were
after June 3, 1906; color lithograph by an unknown lithographer 1979.369.58
introduced to Louisiana via the slave trade. Matters of taste—a penchant for sauces and spices, and the habit of drinking wine with meals—also determined culinary practice. In antebellum Louisiana, the plantation economy that developed around the cash crops of sugar and cotton was the dominant agricultural model. Daily sustenance,
Pelican Cracker Factory Biscuits ca. 1915; color lithograph by Walle & Co. Ltd., lithographer 1973.13.24
Daisy Fancy Mixed Candy
by homeowners and slaves supplied food for both urban and rural tables. Surplus
ca. 1915; color lithograph by Walle & Co. Ltd., lithographer 1973.13.32
crops could be sold at the expanding system of New Orleans public markets. The
Lou-Anna Brand Cane Sugar Syrup
1838 Nouveau Jardiniere de la Louisiane, an agricultural manual, suggests the
ca. 1925; color lithograph by Walle & Co., Ltd., lithographer 1979.369.52
however, depended on smaller-scale farming. Produce gardens (potagers) managed
variety of food grown locally. Local produce was supplemented by food shipped from overseas through the port of New Orleans, or downriver from the midwestern states and territories that used the Mississippi as an artery for bringing crops to
Sirop Père Labat
market.
ca. 1925; color lithograph by Walle & Co., Ltd., lithographer 1979.369.56
The 20th century saw the persistence of such traditional crops as sugar, cotton,
Capitol Brand Hominy Grits
crawfish—once harvested in the wild—were domesticated, the former cultivated
ca. 1940; color lithograph by Walle & Co., Inc., lithographer 1979.369.29
in coastal beds and the latter in fields flooded for rice production. Today, as the
Indian Corn Brand Table Syrup
global marketplace tests the viability of both old and new agricultural enterprises,
bet. 1898 and 1900; color lithograph by Walle & Company, lithographer gift of Sharon Dinkins 1979.378.8
rice, and citrus and the introduction of new crops like soybeans. Oysters and
the demand for innovative marketing ideas has intensified. In recent years, the not-for-profit marketumbrella.org has begun to operate sites where growers and producers of specialized food products can find a willing public for their wares, a movement that may in time replicate the former citywide system of open markets.
Gulf Turtle Meat by Walle & Co., Ltd., lithographer, ca. 1920 (1979.369.39) Eating Crabs by Charles L. Franck Photographers, 1950 (1979.325.4131)
Local Ingredients
Access to a wide variety of raw and prepared foods is such a cornerstone of contemporary life that it is difficult to imagine a time when choices were more circumscribed. Although the bounty of Louisiana’s flora and fauna served as a natural pantry, early European settlers struggled to supplement the food supply. Something as elemental as wheat bread was scarce because wheat and its flour had to be imported from France or, later, from the fields and flour mills of Upper Louisiana. By the early 1720s, farmers from the Germanic states of Europe had been recruited to come to Louisiana. They established vegetable farms upriver in present-day St. Charles and St. John the Baptist parishes (still known as the German Coast) and sold their produce in New Orleans. As the 18th century progressed, domestic cattle raised on the prairies of southwestern Louisiana, in the Attakapas and Opelousas regions, found a market in New Orleans.
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Louisiana Seafood Delight: The Crawfish by Michael W. Moody [Baton Rouge]: Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Center for Agricultural Sciences and Rural Development, 1980 92-649-RL
Nutria for Home Use by Leslie L. Glasgow and Lavon A. McCollough [Baton Rouge]: Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Agricultural Experiment Station, 1963 98-083-RL
“Creole” Brand Oysters
Red Hot Creole Pepper Sauce
ca. 1935; color lithograph by Walle & Co., Inc., lithographer 1981.179.6
ca. 1930; color lithograph by Walle & Co., Ltd., lithographer gift of Corrado Pironti 1978.247.20
Oysters G. W. Dunbar’s Sons bet. 1881 and 1907; color lithograph by an unknown lithographer gift of Harold Schilke and Boyd Cruise 1953.119.1
Oyster Camp near Grand Ecaille/ Man Culling Oysters
creolization. Gumbo bears the imprint of many cultures, as evidenced in its name, gumbo embodies the essence of Louisiana’s Creole heritage.
1930s; photoprint by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.4109
Arnaud’s Restaurant, Preparing Oyster Dishes
THE ENVIRONMENT OF COOKING
The Oyster Bar ca. 1945; pencil on paper by Paul Ashbrook, delineator 1983.123.6
Fort Pike Flounder Drum Sheephead Old St. Joe Tower/ Lake Borgne Lighthouse ca. 1880; pencil on paper by L. D. S. (?), delineator 1974.25.4.104; 1974.25.40.31; .32; .33; .34
Cooking Shrimps ca. 1880; wood engraving by an unknown artist 1974.25.23.39
Grand Isle Brand Fresh Shrimp bet. 1900 and 1929; color lithograph by Walle & Co., Ltd., lithographer 1979.369.38
Gulf Turtle Meat ca. 1920; color lithograph by Walle & Co., Ltd., lithographer 1979.369.39
Kajin American White Flake Crab Meat before 1929; color lithograph by Walle & Co., Ltd., lithographer 1974.25.1.120
Cotton Bale and Gulf Bay Shrimp ca. 1925; color lithograph by Walle & Co., Ltd., lithographer 1979.369.37
Honesty Brand Louisiana Oranges 1920s; color lithograph by Walle & Co., Ltd., lithographer 1979.369.5
its ingredients, and its methods of preparation. In its complexity and adaptability,
Tabasco Brand Whole Okra and Tomatoes
Man with a Net Full of Crabs
1950; photoprint by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.4131
best examples of cultural blending or—as the process is called in Louisiana—
after 1927; color lithograph by an unknown lithographer 1974.25.1.158 before 1929; color lithograph by Walle & Co., Ltd., lithographer 1979.369.63
1940s; photoprint by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.4665
Gumbo, the most renowned of Louisiana’s favorite foods, is one of the
Blue Plate Mayonnaise Made with Wesson Oil
1940s; photoprint by Elemore Morgan Sr., photographer gift of Leonard V. Huber 1976.139.61
Eating Crabs
Gumbo
The word gumbo stems from the Bantu word nkombo, for okra, which is often used to thicken the soup-like dish. Usually served over rice, gumbo contains two or more meats or kinds of seafood and can be roux-based or thickened with okra or filé, which is a powder made of ground sassafras leaves. When it comes to preparing gumbo, there are few strict rules and as many variations as there are cooks. Yet distinct trends can be traced to particular
Kitchen of the Christian Women’s Exchange—Hermann Grima House
cultures or regions of Louisiana. Residents of Louisiana’s prairie region, west of
1930s; photoprint by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.4136
the Atchafalaya Basin, typically use a roux that is almost black, while those who live southeast of the basin start with a lighter brown roux or add tomatoes to
Preparing the Thanksgiving Dinner
the stock. Coastal communities tend to prefer seafood gumbo and use okra as a thickener. Hunters will frequently add their contributions to the pot: squirrel,
1920s; color lithograph by Walle & Co., Ltd., lithographer 1979.369.60
December 4, 1880; hand colored wood engraving by S. G. McCutcheon, delineator 1979.119
Three Rivers
Regal Yams
rabbit, venison, wild duck, even alligator. Residents of Tangipahoa Parish, near the southwestern Mississippi border, may add sausage to gumbo, invoking Hungarian
The Kitchen of the Restaurant
tradition, while Louisianans of German descent are likely to pair gumbo with
1920s; color lithograph by Walle & Co., Ltd., lithographer 1979.369.45
bet. 1866 and 1871; pencil and whitewash by Alfred Rudolph Waud, delineator 1965.14
potato salad. And many Catholics, particularly African Americans, use various
Hopkins Salad and Cooking Oil, Salco
Cook at His Stove
1920s; color lithograph by an unknown lithographer gift of Corrado Pironti 1978.247.18.1
1940s; photoprint by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.4111
Colonial Brand
1950s; photoprint by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.4139
1920s; color lithograph by Walle & Co., Ltd., lithographer 1979.369.44
Ole Mammy Shortening ca. 1920; color lithograph by Walle & Co., Ltd., lithographer 1979.369.27
Autocrat Brand Spices ca. 1910; color lithograph by Walle & Co., Ltd., lithographer 1979.369.41
Horse-Shoe Brand Gumbo Filé Sour Relish Onions Cayenne Pepper ca. 1930; color lithographs by unknown lithographers gifts of Corrado Pironti 1978.247.8; .6; .7; .9
greens to prepare a meatless gumbo z’herbes during Lent, a period of religious preparation before Easter.
Couple in a Kitchen Salsafras from Histoire de la Louisiane by Antoine Simone le Page du Pratz, 1758 (1980.205.10)
Courtyard of 921 Chartres ca. 1917; pencil and watercolor by Wallace Morgan, delineator 1983.150
The Three Sisters—200 Block of Rampart ca. 1915; pencil on paper by Gideon Townsend Stanton, delineator gift of Albert L. Lieutaud 1960.11.4
Kitchen of George Forschler Home— 4935 Perrier 1921; photoprint by C. Bennette Moore, photographer gift of Vivienne W. Lindsay 1984.149.5
Barbue/Poisson Armé/Spatule from Histoire de la Louisiane by Antoine Simone le Page du Pratz, 1758 (1980.205.29 i-iii)
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FINE DINING/ RESTAURANTS Complimentary Dinner Given to the Hon. J. P. Benjamin by Members of the Boston Club, St. Charles Hotel November 21, 1853; printed menu by The Picayune, printer 1981.263.6
Dinner Served at the St. Charles Hotel… June 8, 1853; printed menu by The Picayune, printer 1981.263.5
Eating Out “Once upon a time, being seduced by certain poetic words of Thackeray, I made a special trip to a café in Paris to eat bouillabaisse. I found it distinctly worth while. Later I went to Marseilles, the home of this dish, and there ate it again and found it better. And then I came back to America and ate it at Antoine’s in New Orleans and found it best of all.”—Irvin S. Cobb
From the 1803 Louisiana Purchase gala—which lasted until eight o’clock in the morning and featured 24 gumbos along with a buffet of Bavarian sweets, teas, chocolate, and consommés—to the famous six-course, three-hour breakfasts at Begué’s, fine dining has been a vital part of New Orleans life for centuries. Restaurant culture took root in the high-rolling 1830s, and banquet menus of this period indicate a preference for French and Anglo-American fare. In 1840, French expatriate Antoine Alciatore started serving meals at his boarding house, the predecessor of his namesake restaurant, which moved to its present-day location on St. Louis Street in 1868. Galatoire’s, Commander’s Palace, Tujague’s, Arnaud’s, and Broussard’s are among the other celebrated restaurants that have defined and redefined Creole cuisine in New Orleans for generations of diners. Yet despite a remarkable degree of continuity, the dining landscape has changed in ways both subtle and sudden. Beloved establishments like Fabacher’s, Childs, Kolb’s, and Maylie’s are now only fond memories—while nearly a century has passed since the original Begué’s served its last Sunday breakfast. A survey of contemporary New Orleans menus reveals the ongoing appeal of classic French and Creole cuisine, but also an influx of other ethnic influences. And roughly 50 percent of the restaurants open in the metropolitan area before Katrina remained closed in early 2007.
St. Charles Hotel…Table D’Hote, Gentlemen’s Ordinary July 10, 1854; printed menu by The Picayune, printer 1981.263.13
The St. Charles 1916; oil on canvas by Louis Oscar Griffith, painter 1959.22
Crescent Hussars. Complimentary Dinner to Lieut. H. H. Baldwin, at the Veranda Hotel January 12, 1850; printed menu by The Picayune, printer 1981.263.3
Un piti diné créole. Aux delégues de New Orleans Press Clob, La League International de Presse Clob dans l’Athenaeum February 19, 1898; printed menu by Geo. G. Boitier, designer gift of Celia Seiferth Kornfeld and Robert Kornfeld 94-282-RL
Restaurant De La Renaissance 1904; oil crayon on board by William Woodward, painter 1976.181
View of Begué’s Restaurant, Dining Room before October 19, 1906; photoprint from glass positive by an unknown photographer 1981.261.29
Madame Begué’s Famous Breakfast House copyright 1908; color relief halftone by C. B. Mason, publisher 1989.77.37
Mme. Begué and Her Recipes
View of Begué’s Restaurant, Kitchen by an unknown photographer, before October 19, 1906, (1981.261.32)
by H. M. Mayo and Elizabeth Kettenring Bégué [San Francisco]: Southern Pacific Co., Sunset Route Passage Dept., 1900 82-552-RL
18
Begué’s Restaurant, New Orleans, La.
Restaurant Maylie, 1009 Poydras Street
Jerry’s Restaurant
1890s; relief halftone and lithograph by an unknown maker 1977.117.1
ca. 1960; printed menu by an unknown printer gift of Richard and Rima Collin 93-404-RL.444
ca. 1938; printed menu Boyd Cruise, delineator; Works Progress Administration of Louisiana and Historic American Buildings Survey, sponsors gift of Mr. and Mrs. Albert L. Lieutaud 1952.21 i-xvi
View of Begué’s Restaurant, Kitchen before October 19, 1906, photoprints from glass positives by an unknown photographer 1981.261.31; .32
600 Block of Canal showing Childs Restaurant (to the left) 1934; photoprint by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.4943
Childs the Place that Leads the Race for a Quick Lunch—620 Canal bet. 1913 and 1916; ink with pencil and crayon by Louis Adolph Winterhalder, delineator 1985.71.58
The Original Fabacher’s Restaurant, Oyster House and Hotel ca. 1910; printed menu by J. Earl Rogers, publisher 94-743-RL
Main Dining Room Original Fabacher’s Restaurant, corner Royal and Iberville Streets… ca. 1910; color halftone by an unknown publisher 1974.25.41.203
Fabacher’s Restaurant bet. 1904 and 1907; halftone by J. Earl Rogers Co., publisher gift of Boyd Cruise 1958.85.90
Original Fabacher’s Restaurant, Ladies Grape Arbor postmarked February 8, 1911; color relief halftone by J. Earl Rogers Co., publisher 1998.27.17
Menu…Galatoire’s January 29, 1910; printed menu by an unknown printer 93-360-RL
The King’s Dinner to the Crown Council of the Mystic Club, Galatoire’s Restaurant February 22, 1941; photoprint by an unknown photographer 1981.129.1
Maylie & Esparbe Café, 1000 Block of Poydras Street 1950s; photoprint by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.4713
Maylie’s Restaurant, Poydras corner O’Keefe ca. 1980; printed menu by an unknown printer gift of Richard and Rima Collin 93-404-RL.445
A Portion of Holmes Restaurant… ca. 1925; color relief halftone by Progress Printing Company, printer 1981.350.167
Holmes Tidbits ca. 1930; printed menu by C. Ball, delineator 91-192-RL
The Orchestra Stand in Holmes Restaurant ca. 1940; color relief halftone by Progress Printing Company, printer 1982.55.59
Mack’s Magic Bar and Crystal Room, 619 Canal Street
Hotel New Orleans (Jerry’s Restaurant next door) 1930s; photoprint by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.4561
Luncheon Solari’s ca. 1955; printed menu by an unknown printer 90-427-RL
Solari’s Lunch Counter ca. 1945; photoprint by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.4734
Franklin Delano Roosevelt at Antoine’s Restaurant 1937; photoprint by Information Services W. P. A. of Louisiana 1974.25.27.386
The Restaurant Antoine, 713 St. Louis St.
ca. 1938; printed menu by Rogers Printing, publisher gift of Bill Dagg 97-201-RL
1938; relief halftone by Roy Louis Alciatore, publisher 1982.135.60
View Down Canal Street along 600 Block
1959; printed menu by an unknown printer 1974.25.29.146
July 21, 1953; photoprint by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.4941
Brennan’s French Restaurant, 417 Royal Street ca. 1965; printed menu by an unknown printer gift of Richard and Rima Collin 93-404-RL.57
417 Royal Street: Patio Royal (now Brennan’s) ca. 1930; photoprint by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.4720
Chef Drawn on Brennan’s Menu ca. 1960; watercolor on printed menu by Alfred Bendiner, delineator gift of Alfred Bendiner Foundation 1990.48.5
Waiter Drawn on Brennan’s Menu ca. 1960; watercolor on printed menu by Alfred Bendiner, delineator gift of Alfred Bendiner Foundation 1990.48.4
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Restaurant Antoine
Commander’s Palace ca. 1965; printed menu by an unknown printer gift of Richard and Rima Collin 93-404-RL.129
Waiter Drawn on Brennan’s Menu by Alfred Bendiner, delineator, ca. 1960 (1990.48.4), gift of Alfred Bendiner Foundation
La Louisiane
Commander’s Palace Restaurant, 1403 Washington Avenue
ca. 1980; printed menu by an unknown printer 87-405-RL
1950s; photoprint by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.4681
Kolb’s Established 1899, 125 St. Charles Avenue
Diamond Jim Moran’s La Louisiane 725 Iberville ca. 1960; printed menu by an unknown printer gift of an anonymous donor 94-761-RL
La Louisiane Restaurant, 700 Block of Iberville Street ca. 1930; photoprint by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.4705
The Story of La Louisiane by Edward H. Seiler New Orleans: [La Louisiane], 1945 90-324-RL
ca. 1965; printed menu by an unknown printer gift of Richard and Rima Collin 93-404-RL
Kolb’s Restaurant, 125 St. Charles Avenue 1950s; photoprint by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.4700
Kolb’s—St. Charles Near Canal ca. 1940; color halftone by an unknown publisher 1974.25.41.209
Part of Main Dining Room, Kolb’s German Tavern ca. 1925; color relief halftone by Alphonse Goldsmith, publisher 1982.55.55
New Tea Room, Second Floor, Kolb’s German Tavern ca. 1915; color relief halftone by Alphonse Goldsmith, publisher 1981.350.168
T. Pittari’s ca. 1970; printed menu by an unknown printer gift of Richard and Rima Collin 93-404-RL.635
T. Pittari’s Restaurant, 4200 S. Claiborne Avenue 1950s; photoprint by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.4736
The Beacon Restaurant, Corner of S. Claiborne and Napoleon Avenues October 14, 1954; photoprint by Charles L. Franck Photographers 1979.325.4667
The Beacon Menu ca. 1965; printed menu by an unknown printer gift of Richard and Rima Collin 93-404-RL.32
20
Gizmos & Gadgets
21
Ice tray
Food storage containers
Jar opener
Egg beater
1970s; plastic by an unknown manufacturer courtesy of an anonymous lender
21st century; plastic by NewellRubbermaid Company, manufacturer courtesy of an anonymous lender
mid-20th century; plastic by an unknown manufacturer courtesy of the George F. Herdling Collection
Ice tray
Ricer
Gilhoolie jar and bottle opener
patent pending 1921; stainless steel and plastic by an unknown manufacturer courtesy of Susan R. Laudeman
the house—provided a safer and cooler model for urban as well as rural dwellings.
1970s; plastic by an unknown manufacturer courtesy of an anonymous lender
late 20th century; metal by an unknown manufacturer courtesy of Susan R. Laudeman
mid-20th century; metal by Gilhoolie, manufacturer courtesy of the George F. Herdling Collection
In the French Quarter, open courtyards were sometimes employed as extensions
Ice tray
Mezzaluna (half-moon chopper)
Pivoting jar opener
of the kitchen. Ice and perishables were typically stored outdoors in an ice box.
mid-20th century; aluminum by an unknown manufacturer courtesy of the George F. Herdling Collection
probably 19th century; hand-forged metal and wood by an unknown craftsman courtesy of the Peter W. Patout Collection
mid-20th century; metal by an unknown manufacturer courtesy of the George F. Herdling Collection
Grater
late 19th century; iron by an unknown manufacturer 2006.0426.3
Louisiana’s climate puts a premium on keeping cool—and keeping one’s food cool. Because meals were prepared over an open fire throughout much of the region’s history, the detached kitchen—a separate structure located apart from
Metal tongs were employed to handle the blocks; ice picks to reduce the blocks to a manageable size; and shavers to produce a product nearly as fine as snow. By the early 20th century, a number of factors—the advent of indoor plumbing; modern appliances that eliminated wood smoke and contained cooking flames; and the widespread use of refrigerators—combined to make indoor kitchens
Ice tray mid-20th century; aluminum by Frigidaire, manufacturer courtesy of the George F. Herdling Collection
Ice tray
the norm. Kitchen tools have undergone equally dramatic transformations, especially over
mid-20th century; aluminum by an unknown manufacturer courtesy of Irma M. Stiegler
the last two generations. While many cooks still prize their cast-iron cookware,
Elma hand-cranked coffee grinder
aluminum has become a metal of choice for pots and pans—and non-stick
1920s; cast iron, wood by Elma, manufacturer courtesy of the George F. Herdling Collection
surfaces have revolutionized both cooking and cleanup. The daily cup of coffee was once prepared by parching and grinding the beans manually, then slowly dripping hot water through the grounds of a traditional “French drip” coffeepot. From beating eggs, to peeling garlic, to opening jars, nearly every conceivable kitchen task has been transfigured over the years by special gadgets and tools.
Coffee pot 20th century; enameled metal by an unknown manufacturer courtesy of an anonymous lender
Electric coffee grinder
in America, innovative and entrepreneurial cooks have responded to the heat,
1980s; plastic, metal by Braun, manufacturer courtesy of an anonymous lender
humidity, and bountiful wetlands with unique inventions—from machines that
Jug
finely shave ice for snowballs (New Orleans’s famous take on the snow cone)
mid-19th century; glazed earthenware by an unknown manufacturer 2006.0426.1
Although Louisiana culinary technology differs little from that utilized elsewhere
to propane-powered rigs for boiling shrimp, crabs, and crawfish. Yet despite these unique innovations and the endless supply of up-to-the-minute accessories available for the modern kitchen, the most critical element remains the cook.
Jug from Solari’s Food Store late 19th/early 20th century; glazed earthenware by an unknown manufacturer
Milk Bottle, Cloverland Dairy, New Orleans Chip Chop multi-pronged ice pick mid-20th century; metal, wood by Chip Chop, manufacturer courtesy of the George F. Herdling Collection
Kitchen Technology Ice tongs late 19th century; iron by an unknown manufacturer 2006.0426.2
Arctic Ice Shaver ca. 1920; cast iron by Grey Ironcasting Co., manufacturer courtesy of Susan R. Laudeman
Ice pick mid-20th century; wood, metal by an unknown manufacturer courtesy of an anonymous lender
Ice pick mid-20th century; wood, metal by an unknown manufacturer courtesy of an anonymous lender
early 20th century; glass, paper by an unknown manufacturer courtesy of Irma M. Stiegler
Grease can mid-20th century; metal, rubber by an unknown manufacturer courtesy of the George F. Herdling Collection
Ball mason jar 21st century; glass, metal, rubber by Alltrista Consumer Products, manufacturer courtesy of an anonymous lender
probably 19th century; tin over hand-forged metal by an unknown tinsmith courtesy of the Peter W. Patout Collection
Skimmer (strainer) ca. 1900; forged iron, coated tin by an unknown manufacturer courtesy of the Peter W. Patout Collection
Skimmer (strainer) early 20th century; carved wood by an unknown woodcarver courtesy of Irma M. Stiegler
Oval roaster with bail handle and lid
Spider (cooking pot on raised legs) probably 19th century; iron by an unknown manufacturer courtesy of the Peter W. Patout Collection
Ideal Fireless Cooker early 20th century; metal by The Toledo Cooker Company, manufacturer courtesy of Fritz Dahlberg
Crock Pot Slow Cooker
Chopping board from Spanish Custom House, New Orleans
1990s; glass, metal, rubber by Rival, manufacturer courtesy of Susan R. Laudeman
ca. 1800; carved wood by an unknown woodcarver courtesy of the Peter W. Patout Collection
Non-stick pan
Cutting board 21st century; plastic by Arrow Plastic Manufacturing Company, manufacturer courtesy of an anonymous lender
Citrus reamer mid-20th century; glass by an unknown manufacturer courtesy of the George F. Herdling Collection
Fresco Lime and Lemon Squeezer mid-20th century; cast aluminum by Fresco, manufacturer courtesy of the George F. Herdling Collection
Universal juicer mid-20th century; cast aluminum by L. F. & C., manufacturer courtesy of the George F. Herdling Collection
Bird form lemon squeezer mid-20th century; metal by an unknown manufacturer courtesy of Irma M. Stiegler
Triumph Fruit Jar Wrench patented 1903; metal by Benjamin P. Forbes, manufacturer courtesy of Susan R. Laudeman
21st century; metal and non-stick coating by Mirro, manufacturer courtesy of an anonymous lender
Larding needle ca. 1950; stainless steel by Rostfrei-Inox, manufacturer courtesy of Susan R. Laudeman
Garlic press 1980s; plastic by Chef’n, manufacturer courtesy of Susan R. Laudeman
Pudding mold ca. 1880; tinware by an unknown tinsmith courtesy of the Peter W. Patout Collection
Box of artificial crab shells mid-20th century; paper, aluminum by Lorco Industries, manufacturer courtesy of the George F. Herdling Collection
Kitchen scale early 20th century; metal by Charles Forschner & Sons, manufacturer courtesy of the George F. Herdling Collection
Donut batter dispenser ca. 1950; plastic, metal by Popeil Product, manufacturer courtesy of Irma M. Stiegler
Spatula probably 19th century; carved wood by an unknown woodcarver courtesy of the Peter W. Patout Collection
Spatula probably 19th century; carved wood by an unknown woodcarver courtesy of the Peter W. Patout Collection
Spatula mid-20th century; rubber, wood by an unknown manufacturer courtesy of an anonymous lender
Spatula 21st century; plastic by NewellRubbermaid Company, manufacturer courtesy of an anonymous lender
22
COOKBOOKS Le trésor des ménages ed. by Chez Friedel et Gasc. Limoges: F. Chapoulaud, 1828 2004.0123
La petite cuisinière habile by Louise-Béate-Augustine Friedel (“Mlle Jeannette”) Nouvelle-Orléans, 1840 courtesy of Atlanta History Center
The House Servant’s Directory by Robert Roberts Boston: Munroe and Francis, 1828 2006.0205
Cookbooks Educational and inspirational, cookbooks have chronicled our fascination with food for millennia. The earliest known cookbooks date to ancient Greece; the first printed cookbook emerged from Renaissance Italy in 1485. An American printer, William Parks, entered the culinary trade in 1742 with The Compleat Housewife, a reprint of an English publication. By the early 19th century, a handful of American cookbooks—featuring distinctly American recipes—had been published. But New Orleans, despite its emerging reputation as a food mecca, would not see its own cuisine immortalized in print until the late 19th
Verstille’s Southern Cookery…
century.
by Mrs. E. J. Verstille New York: Owens and Agar, 1867 ©1866 courtesy of the LSU Libraries Special Collections
The early American publishing industry was concentrated on the eastern seaboard— and Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore dominated the cookbook trade.
The Creole Cookery Book
What eastern cities lacked, and New Orleans had, was a vital French presence.
by the Christian Woman’s Exchange of New Orleans New Orleans: T H. Thomason, 1885 gift of Mrs. Ashton Fischer and Mrs. Carl Corbin 81-983-RL
In 1840, La petite cuisinière habile, America’s first French-language cookbook, was printed in New Orleans. That same year, French expatriate Antoine Alciatore started serving meals at a boarding house in the French Quarter. Oyster houses and chophouses, saloons, and hotel dining rooms flourished in the antebellum era. Creole cuisine was taking root—but still, no Creole cookbook existed.
La Cuisine Creole by Lafcadio Hearn New York: W. H. Coleman, 1885 gift of Ralph Pons 77-288-RL
The Civil War years generated significant culinary ephemera. Women traded recipes and collected them in “receipt books” later passed to their daughters. After the war, charitable organizations sprang into action to assist war victims, and cook-
The Unrivalled Cook-Book and Housekeepers Guide
books became extensions of their missions. National food and kitchen brokers
by “Mrs. Washington” New York: Harper and Brothers, 1886 gift of Mr. and Mrs. John H. Lawrence 2004.0126
like Godey’s Lady’s Book routinely printed recipes.
Dixie Pastry Cook Book New Orleans: Gulf Manufacturing Co., 1896 84-498-RL
promoted their products with small advertising booklets, while women’s magazines
Emerging from the financial panic of the 1870s—and the tribulations of Reconstruction—New Orleans greeted the 1880s with renewed optimism. Civic leaders recognized that one key to renascence was the sustenance and promotion
The Picayune’s Creole Cook Book
of the city’s unique culture. This climate of cultural boosterism deserves at least
New Orleans: The Picayune, 1901 79-442-RL
partial credit for propelling Creole cuisine into print, at long last.
Cooking in Old Créole Days
The first notable collection of Creole recipes appeared in a cookbook published
by Célestine Eustis New York: R. H. Russell, 1904 74-86-L.21
Fisher Knows about Old Southern Cooking (1881), considered the first book of
The Old and New Cook Book
African American cooking, was written by a former slave and included recipes
by Mrs. Martha Pritchard Stanford New Orleans: Searcy, 1904 92-141-RL
for “jumberlie,” “Creole chow chow,” and several gumbos. Will H. Coleman’s
nearly 2,000 miles from New Orleans, in San Francisco. Abby Fisher’s What Mrs.
1885 Historical Sketch Book and Guide to New Orleans and Environs, although not technically a cookbook, contained loving descriptions of Creole cuisine. Two other volumes published that same year—the Christian Woman’s Exchange’s Creole Cookery Book and Lafcadio Hearn’s La Cuisine Creole—established Creole
Le trésor des ménages, ed. by Chez Friedel et Gasc, 1828 (2004.0123)
cooking as a bona fide regional treasure.
24
Sweets and Meats and Other Good Things to Eat New Orleans: Seventh Street Protestant Orphan’s Home, 1910 gift of G. K. Pratt Munson 93-027-RL
Good Things to Eat from All the World…
Publishers outside Louisiana took notice. An 1886 New York publication, The of the late 19th century culminated in the 1900 publication of The Picayune’s Creole Cook Book. Revised and reprinted regularly in the following decades by the Picayune newspaper staff, this cookbook still serves as an important culinary guide for locals and historians.
New Orleans: A. M. & J. Solari, 1930 86-422-RL
Twentieth-century New Orleans cookbooks bear witness to economic trends, food
Gourmet’s Guide to New Orleans
fads, and changing demographics. By the 1950s and ’60s, with the city’s Creole
by Natalie Vivian Scott and Caroline Merrick Jones New Orleans: Peerless Printing Co., 1933 70-30-L.8
restaurants gaining national recognition, regional bestsellers like River Road
Famous Recipes from Old New Orleans… New Orleans: Godchaux Sugars Inc., 1938 87-033-RL
Louisiana’s Fabulous Foods and How to Cook Them… by Lady Helen Henriques Hardy and Raymond J. Martinez New Orleans: Hope Publications, [1940s] 76-669-RL
Gastronomic Bibliography by Katherine Golden Bitting San Francisco: A. W. Bitting, 1939 2006.0255
The Rochester Clarke Bibliography of Louisiana Cookery by Rochester Clarke; John E. and Glenna Uhler, comps. Plaquemine, La.: Iberville Parish Library, 1966 2002-89-RL
Physiologie du goût by Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin Paris: Charpentier, 1844 2002-227-RL
The Historic New Orleans Collection
Unrivalled Cookbook, claimed to contain 200 Creole recipes. The cookbook boom
Recipes (1959) and Talk About Good! (1967) alerted national publishers to the commercial potential of Louisiana cookbooks. The past quarter-century has seen southern Louisiana become a breeding ground for celebrity chefs—and cookbooks featuring Creole and Cajun cuisine attract salivating audiences worldwide.
Board of Directors Mrs. William K. Christovich, Chairman John E. Walker, President Charles Snyder Fred M. Smith John Kallenborn Priscilla Lawrence, Executive Director
Exhibition Curators John H. Lawrence Pamela D. Arceneaux Susan R. Laudeman John Magill Gerald Patout
Exhibition Graphics Steve Sweet
Exhibition Design Terry Weldon Scott Ratterree Mitchell Long
Exhibition Staff Warren J. Woods Goldie Lanaux Viola Berman Maclyn Hickey Jan White Brantley Keely Merritt Teresa Kirkland Larry Falgoust Jude Solomon Jessica Dorman Mary Mees Teresa Devlin Toy O’Ferrall Anne McCall Elsa Schneider Amie Hubbell Rebecca Smith Siva Blake Mary Lou Eichhorn Sally Stassi
Brochure Design Alison Cody
Producer, We Live to Eat and A Common Pot Kevin McCaffrey
The Creole Cookery Book by the Christian Woman’s Exchange of New Orleans, 1885 (81-983-RL)
The Historic New Orleans Collection gratefully acknowledges the following individuals who shared their time, talents, and expertise as members of the advisory panel for What’s Cooking in New Orleans?: Culinary Traditions of the Crescent City: Daniel G. Abel David Aman H. Parrott Bacot Patrick Dunne John T. Edge Eileen Engel Randy Fertel Tom Fitzmorris John Folse Pam Franklin Kelly Hamilton Dr. Jessica B. Harris Dr. Jack Holden Peggy Scott Laborde Jan Longone Richard McCarthy Melvin Rodrigue Patricia Land Stevens Poppy Tooker Susan Tucker Dr. Doug Walker Elizabeth Williams Dr. Aaron Wolfson
The Historic New Orleans Collection gratefully acknowledges the following institutions and individuals that have loaned items from their holdings for this exhibition: Atlanta History Center LSU Libraries Special Collections Fritz Dahlberg George F. Herdling Collection Charlotte Knipmeyer Susan R. Laudeman Peter W. Patout Collection Irma M. Stiegler and other private collections
Tell me what you eat: I will tell you what you are. —Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, Physiologie du goût, 1825
The Historic New Orleans Collection Visit the collection online at www.hnoc.org
533 Royal Street New Orleans Louisiana 70130 (504) 523-4662
