Julia Reed's New Orleans: Food, Fun, and Field Trips for Letting the Good Times Roll

by Julia Reed, Paul Costello (Photographs)

Consummate hostess and lifestyle expert Julia Reed shares her favorite New Orleans recipes and ways to create parties that exude this city's famously warm hospitality.

This follow-up to Julia's bestseller Julia Reed's South showcases her entertaining know-how and that of her noted chef friends--and her love of New Orleans. Held in a variety of venues, from courtyards to gracious interior spaces, the gatherings' menus include such dishes as grillades, grits, and seafood gumbo, and cocktails ranging from the traditional Sazerac to a Satsuma Margarita. Featured are an elegant holiday dinner, a crawfish boil, and a lunch under the live oaks. All are presented in luscious photographs and include tips on setting tables, arranging flowers, and crafting playlists to create a festive mood.

Julia's introduction traces the evolution of New Orleans cuisine, from its Creole beginnings to the culinary contributions of other ethnic groups. Sidebars cover iconic watering holes and local specialties such as the po-boy and the muffuletta, as well as events ranging from Mardi Gras to raucous St. Patrick's Day. This enticing cookbook is the ultimate primer is for every party-giver and anyone interested in "laissez bons temps roulez."

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel

224 pages, Hardcover

Published April 30, 2019

About the author

Julia Reed was born in Greenville, Mississippi, in 1960. She went to the Madeira School for Girls at age sixteen near McLean, Virginia. She began taking classes at Georgetown University but then transferred to and graduated from American University.

She started working at Newsweek magazine as an intern in 1977 and went on to become Contributing Editor and columnist. She was contributing editor and senior writer at Vogue for twenty years. She is a Contributing Editor at Elle Magazine and at Garden and Gun Magazine (for which she also writes a column). She also writes articles for the New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, and the Wall Street Journal.

Well known as a humorist and a “master of the art of eating, drinking, and making merry,” according to her publisher, her books include One Man’s Folly: The Exceptional Houses of Furlow Gatewood (2014), But Mama Always Put Vodka in Her Sangria! Adventures in Eating, Drinking, and Making Merry (Apr 30, 2013), New Orleans, New Elegance (2012) with Kerri McCaffety, Ham Biscuits, Hostess Gowns, and Other Southern Specialties: An Entertaining Life (with Recipes) (Apr 28, 2009), The House on First Street: My New Orleans Story (2008) and Queen of the Turtle Derby and Other Southern Phenomena (2005)

Reviews

[Jean MacLeod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julia Reed's New Orleans is a treat for the senses. Like Jason's Mom's Christmas Potatoes. Imagine the lowly potato accompanied with such heavy hitters as heavy cream, Parmigiano Reggiano, and Boursin cheese. Never mind waiting for Christmas. Just reading the recipe and viewing the photo is enough to make a body drool. And then turn around and put Boursin cheese with garlic and fine herbs on the shopping list. And this is just one example.

Packed with mouth-watering recipes and drool-inducing photos, this is a book that has you anxious to head to the kitchen and try out some of these recipes for yourself. And, the sooner, the better.
As the title of the book says "Food, Fun...Letting the Good Times Roll."

[Karen Kimbrough · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m trying to learn about New Orleans. I picked this book as a tool to learn to appreciate the city. My daughter has grown to love the city. Her boyfriend’s family is from there and through her experiences she has inspired me to think differently about New Orleans. She picked up the book from my coffee table and said it was a great book on New Orleans.

[Jasmyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess this woman is kind of like Martha Stewart? Throwing parties everyday is her norm?
Some interesting facts, but this was mostly a cookbook.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely (if not Julia Reed’s best book). And now I’m so sad that there won’t be any more.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book.

[Dee Roll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful insight into food and New Orleans

[False · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a re-read and with some sadness as she died a year after this book came out. Full of good New Orleans music, food and architecture. The South still knows how to entertain. Ms. Reed wrote an essay once about giving parties and how it isn't done "that way" anymore--as in her parent's era, and I agree. I grew up in a household that was always holding parties, with people dressing up and good food on good china and silver and everyone trying to bring their best. If those parties still exist, I don't know of them, and it saddens me. I will miss her observations and writing in the years to come. And that is that.