Da Cajn Critter: The Lifestyles, The Rules, and Makin Groceries

Da Cajn Critter is one of the cutest, funnest cookbooks I’ve seen in ages. I fell in love with it when I first saw the title, but when I saw the actual cookbook, itself, I fell even harder.

I was sort of afraid to look inside – with so much going on for it on the outside, I was afraid it’d be like some great looking Hollywood stars, beautiful on the outside but shallow on the inside. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the real party didn’t actually start until you opened the too-cute-for-its-own-good cover.

Da Cajn Critter really is more than a cookbook, it’s sort of a handbook for completely enjoying food again – making it, serving it, and eating it.

Think about it, meals used to be a major part of everyone’s day. Everyone looked forward to the home cooked meal they’d enjoy at the end of the day just as much as the cook, herself/himself, looked forward to cooking it. Unfortunately, so many people have fallen into the fast food or meal in a box traps… pop it in the microwave, hit 6 minutes… voila! Supper! So many have forgotten the joy and fun of cooking and serving something you’ve really made with your own two hands. A while back, The Food Network helped to reawaken this love in one generation while instilling it in another. Everyone was talking about Emeril, Rachael Ray, Bobby Flay, Tyler Florence, Jamie Oliver, and of course, Alton Brown.

However, things have cooled off a little bit. Not to get on my soapbox…. she says while stepping up on it…. Food Network has gotten a little off kilter. All of the food competitions and touring restaurants are fun, but they don’t exactly encourage generations of people to get in the kitchen and have fun with cooking. Hopefully, my beloved Food Network will get back to what made them a phenomenon in the first place.  Celebrate the joy of cooking!

That is precisely what author Pamela D. Lyles does in her outstanding book, Da Cajn Critter. Pamela grew up in New Orleans and spent hours in her own family’s kitchen as well as her grandmother’s kitchen. She saw, firsthand, that cooking is something to be enjoyed and shared.

Personally, I think that if cooking seems like a chore, you’re doing it wrong!

Da Cajn Critter is the ideal book for any cook – old, new, reluctant… It would also make a perfect, perfect, perfect gift for the cooks on your Christmas list.

I think cooking is about so much more than preparing food. It’s about people relaxing, having fun, and connecting with one another. Every one of our lives is like an old family recipe. It is filled with different ingredients and experiences that over time create a unique and distinctive flavor. – Pamela D. Lyles, Da Cajn Critter Page 7

Some of the Recipes You’ll Find in Da Cajn Critter:

• Tomato Bruschetta
• Jalapeno Cheese
• Oysters DiNapoli
• Cool Crab Meat on Artichokes
• Pumpkin Bread
• Cheese Grits
• Baked Potato Soup
• Creole Egg Salad
• Classic Tuna Salad
• Barbecue Beef Ribs and Sauce
• Classic Lasagna
• Sweet-and-Sour Cabbage Rolls
• Honey-Glazed Pork Chops
• Grilled Redfish Fillets
• Crawfish Boil
• Shrimp Po’ Boys
• Shrimp Scampi
• Jambalaya
• Fried Trout
• Baked Beans (with a vegetarian option)
• Ice Cream with Homemade Fudge Sauce
• Peppermint Shake
• Buttermilk Pound Cake
• Indoor Super S’mores
• Red Velvet Cake
• Cream Cheese Brownies
• Caramel Brownies
• Brownies with Double Chocolate Icing (Yes, please.)

After the recipes, there’s a very enjoyable bonus section.  There are tips, tidbits, and a lot of things you just wouldn’t expect.  I don’t want to give away the fun, because I honestly want you to enjoy your own copy.

Dawlin’, this is one fantastic cookbook and you need to order a copy pronto. Click the following link to read more – then order a few copies right away.  Sweet Potato Casserole, Dirty Rice Dressing, Spinach Noodle Bake, Pecan Pie, Cajun Fried Turkey – all of these recipes are perfect for Thanksgiving!  There’s even a recipe for “After Thanksgiving Gumbo!”

As for Christmas,  Red Velvet Cake, Jack’s Fudge, Pomegranate Salad, Peppermint Shakes, Fruit Salad with Citrus Dressing, Spiced Tea, and Toni and Eddie’s Ham are ready to rock around the Christmas Tree, and  Cheese Grits would be the perfect Christmas morning breakfast.  You need this cookbook celebration of cooking: Da Cajn Critter

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