Mosquito Supper Club

Starred review from February 3, 2020
Born and raised on the Louisiana bayou, restaurateur Martin shares the history, traditions, and customs surrounding Cajun cuisine and offers a tantalizing slew of classic dishes as cooked at her eatery in New Orleans, from which the title of the book is taken. Writing in elegant prose, Martin is less concerned with the still-life plating of entrées than she is with painting the landscape of her upbringing. “Water is our lifeline and our dark shadow,” she writes, reflecting a community dependent upon the fishing trade yet scarred by flooding and hurricanes. It’s no surprise then that the emphasis here is on seafood. Bottom-dwellers inhabit the opening chapters, with shrimp, crab, oysters, and crawfish each getting separate sections, though they also come together in clever ways: ground shrimp acts as the binder in Louisiana lump crab cakes and, conversely, crab-stuffed shrimp are dredged in an egg mixture containing mustard before being breaded in cornmeal and cayenne and fried. Gumbo is thoroughly examined and seven varieties are offered, including Maxine’s shrimp okra gumbo, borrowed from the author’s mother. Redfish and trout star in the fish chapter, then Martin moves to dry land with various salt pork options, okra side dishes, and, for dessert, beignets and blackberry dumplings. A sprinkling of heat and a lot of heart make this a must-have for any Cajun connoisseur.

March 1, 2020
Martin grew up on the bayou in Chauvin, Louisiana, a tiny fishing town that serves as an inspiration for the dishes that she creates in her New Orleans farm-to-table restaurant, Mosquito Supper Club. With over 100 recipes, including crab-stuffed shrimp, Maxine's chicken gumbo, and fried okra, Martin reflects on her childhood and offers readers a variety of meals from the area where she grew up. She also emphasizes the necessity for preserving the food of Southern Louisiana, especially as the state's coast is migrating due to rising tides, disappearing wetlands, and global warming. She explores the nuances between Cajun and Creole food and shares the origin of staples like gumbo and crawfish. The book's 12 chapters highlight the key ingredients of this cuisine, including oysters, crab, and salt pork and beans, as well as the customs that surround each of them. Illustrated throughout with gorgeous color photos and filled with family stories, this is as much a tribute to Martin's mother and grandmother as it is to her childhood home.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

May 1, 2020

The distinction between Cajun and Creole cuisines is profound; all too often the two are elided into a "New Orleans" experience. Martin respects both, but she was born and bred a Cajun. She opened the Mosquito Supper Club when she returned to Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina forced her to move away for several years. Martin chronicles a way of life and a way of cooking that are imperiled by climate change. She places Cajun cuisine in a multicultural context that is intrinsically linked to nature and the seasons. As befits a chef raised by an oyster fisherman, the recipes are heavy on seafood, though there are plenty of vegetable, poultry, and dessert offerings. Dishes such as crab jambalaya, shrimp stew, and oyster spaghetti are packed with shellfish; home cooks may have to budget wisely to do them justice. All the recipes are appetizing, and completed by vivid photography. Note, however, that there are few offerings for vegetarians. VERDICT An inspiring choice for readers and cooks interested in authentic, rustic Louisiana cooking beyond Bourbon Street.--Devon Thomas, Chelsea, MI

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.