Cajun country is the last bastion of true American regional cooking, and no one knows it better than Isaac Toups. Now the chef of the acclaimed Toups' Meatery and Toups South in New Orleans, he grew up deep in the Atchafalaya Basin of Louisiana, where his ancestors settled 300 years ago. There, hunting and fishing trips provide the ingredients for communal celebrations, and these shrimp and crawfish boils, boucheries (hog killings), fish frys, and backyard barbecues--form the backbone of this book.

Toups shows what it's like to butcher a hog and engineer an on-the-fly barbecue pit--as well as make a 15-minute roux for a quick gumbo (normally a time-intensive process). He guides readers through his home country with detours for salty anecdotes, in-depth tutorials, and rich photography. Divided into sections that embody a wide range of Cajun experiences, the book features 100 recipes that translate old-school techniques for the modern table.

This is a book full of attitude and flavor for fans of Action Bronson, Anthony Bourdain, and Paul Prudhomme. Chasing the Gator shows how--and what it means--to cook Cajun food today.

About the Author
Isaac Toups (Author)
Isaac Toups has four times been named a James Beard Best Chef of the South Semi-Finalist or Finalist since opening Toups' Meatery in 2012 with his wife, Amanda. He was named an Eater Young Gun of the South, Eater New Orleans' Chef of the Year, and a Top Chef fan favorite. Before opening Toups' Meatery, he honed his skill for a decade as a fine-dining chef at restaurants such as Emeril's Delmonico. His cooking has been featured by the Wall Street Journal, Food & Wine, CNN, and Tasting Table, among many other outlets. He is a passionate advocate for the protection of America's wetlands

Jennifer V. Cole (Author)
Jennifer V. Cole spent nearly a decade getting to know the intricacies of the South at Southern Livingmagazine, where she served as Deputy Editor and where her annual Top 100 Southern Restaurants and Best New Restaurant lists were considered the final word on where to eat in the South. Her writing appears widely in other publications. A native of Mississippi, she spent eight years in New York City, where she annually had live crawfish flown up for her birthday boil--she purged them in her bathtub, to the chagrin of her roommates. She now lives in Louisiana.




Book Information
ISBN 9780316465779
Author Isaac Toups
Format Hardback
Page Count 256
Imprint Little, Brown & Company
Publisher Little, Brown & Company
Weight(grams) 1115g
Dimensions(mm) 258mm * 206mm * 22mm