Louisiana's Italians, Food, Recipes and Folkways Paperback - 2005

From the rear cover

"Next to their love of God and patron saints, especially St. Joseph, Italians are known for their love of food."

After decades of collecting stories and recipes from Italian immigrants throughout Louisiana, Nancy Wilson shares her findings in this spirited and multifaceted collection of Italian food and folkways. Undertaken as a way to preserve her children's Italian heritage and inspired by her mother-in-law, a first-generation Italian American, Wilson presents cultural traditions and anecdotes alongside lively personal commentary and historical and cultural facts.

Included here are authentic, user-friendly recipes ranging from Mama's Italian Bread to eggplant casserole, homemade wines, olive salads, codfish balls, osso bucco, St. Joseph's Day breadcrumbs, biscotti, and more. Wilson also includes a glossary and an illustrated how-to for making your own mud oven to bake authentic Italian bread. This collectable volume, as full of heart as it is handy tips and humorous recollections, will appeal to cultural historians as well as lovers of traditional Italian fare.

Nancy Wilson is president of Louisiana Gourmet Enterprises, Inc., a family-owned business that manufactures Cajun-Creole dinner mixes and specialty gourmet cake and frosting mixes under the Mam Papaul brand name. She has been a teacher for three decades and earned her M.S. in family life and child development from Louisiana State University. Currently she is a Head Start teacher with the St. Charles Parish School Board. She lives in Hahnville, Louisiana, with her husband. They are the parents of four grown children, three daughters and a son.