A Confederacy of Dunces Cookbook: Recipes from Ignatius J. Reilly's New Orleans - Hardcover

Nobles, Cynthia LeJeune

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0807161918 ISBN 13: 9780807161913

Publisher: LSU Press, 2015

Synopsis

In John Kennedy Toole's iconic novel, Ignatius J. Reilly is never short of opinions about food or far away from his next bite. Whether issuing gibes such as "canned food is a perversion," or taking a break from his literary ambitions with "an occasional cheese dip," this lover of Lucky Dogs, café au lait, and wine cakes navigates 1960s New Orleans focused on gastronomical pursuits.
For the novel's millions of fans, Cynthia LeJeune Nobles's "A Confederacy of Dunces" Cookbook offers recipes inspired by the delightfully commonplace and always delicious fare of Ignatius and his cohorts. Through an informative narrative and almost 200 recipes, Nobles explores the intersection of food, history, and culture found in the Pulitzer Prize--winning novel, opening up a new avenue into New Orleans's rich culinary traditions.
Dishes inspired by Ignatius's favorites -- macaroons and "toothsome" steak -- as well as recipes based on supporting characters -- Officer Mancuso's Pork and Beans and Dr. Talc's Bloody Marys -- complement a wealth of fascinating detail about the epicurean side of the novel's memorable settings. A guide to the D. H. Holmes Department Store's legendary Chicken Salad, the likely offerings of the fictitious German's Bakery, and an in-depth interview with the general manager of Lucky Dogs round out this delightful cookbook.
A lighthearted yet impeccably researched look at the food of the 1960s, "A Confederacy of Dunces" Cookbook reaffirms the singularity and timelessness of both New Orleans cuisine and Toole's comic tour de force.

About this title

About the Author

Cynthia LeJeune Nobles is author of The Delta Queen Cookbook: The History and Recipes of the Legendary Steamboat, The Confederacy of Dunces Cookbook, and co-author of The Fonville Winans Cookbook: Recipes and Photographs of a Louisiana Artist. She is also series editor for The Southern Table at LSU Press, a former food columnist for The Advocate of Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Acadiana, and a former member of the Newcomb College Culinary History Writers Group. Nobles lives in New Orleans with her husband.

Review

''The endless appetite of the Falstaffian protagonist Ignatius J. Reilly inspires dozens of recipes here, from Miss Trixie's Orange-and-Bourbon-Glazed Ham to the Bourbon Street Messy Dog, which involves French bread and chicken gravy. The book's index is a culinary exploration in itself.''--New York Times

''Food historian Cynthia LeJeune Nobles re-creates the cuisine of Reilly's 1960s Crescent City in a delicious homage to one of the quirkiest characters in American literature.''--Parade

''A Confederacy of Dunces has been called a love letter to New Orleans and hailed as a modern comedic classic. Now, a new cookbook looks at the food and culture that help define the characters in the Pulitzer Prize-winning book.''--NPR

''One of the world's great food-obsessed cities and one of the great gluttons of literature are paired in this new book by Louisiana food writer Cynthia LeJeune Nobles. Nobles has collected recipes for the dishes presented in John Kennedy Toole's classic novel, dressed them in local history, and served up a fun and readable cookbook I'm glad to have on my shelf.''--Country Roads

''Both a compilation of updated and standard Louisiana dishes, and a ''Confederacy'' companion piece. It delights the reader in several ways. . . . For every mention of food in the novel, there's a recipe, including, yes, a made-from-scratch Paradise Pork and Beef Wieners.''--NOLA.com/Times-Picayune

''Writer Cynthia Nobles decided to dissect the book's numerous food mentions in the glutinous tale of Ignatius J. Rilley and translate them for real life consumption. There's nearly 200 recipes in the book of the same name that came out in October, a majority of which are rich in New Orleans culinary culture.''--Boston Metro

''Woven through the zaniness are plenty of food references, and it's from this perspective that author and food historian Cynthia LeJeune Nobles delivers her spirited A Confederacy of Dunces Cookbook.''--225 Magazine

''Nobles, a native of Iota, Louisiana, has perused the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and explores the food, history and culture of New Orleans in A Confederacy of Dunces Cookbook. . . . Nobles takes readers on a culinary and historical tour of New Orleans, following in Ignatius' footsteps. There's D. H. Holmes department store, the Prytania Theater and the bars of Bourbon Street many of which are accented by wonderful old photos. It's a fun book on so many levels, but will be especially delightful for the Ignatius lover.'' --The Advertiser

Edition details

• Publisher: LSU Press
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0807161918
• ISBN 13: 9780807161913
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 240