Cookbook Review: Da Cajn Critter by Pamela D. Lyles

I love reviewing cookbooks and was very excited when asked to review Da Cajun Critter as I love Cajun food! I received my review copy and immediately started flipping through the pages. I can spend ages just reading cookbooks before I ever try any of the recipes. At first glance, this book seemed to be just your normal collection of recipes, with a few Cajun dished thrown in. Then I got to really reading these recipes and realized this is one of those treasures filled with down home cooking, recipes given to you from family and friends. If you need a dish for a pot luck, family reunion, or picnic you are probably going to find a winner in Da Cajun Critter.

Pros:

• I love that the book is spiral bound. This is something I look for when purchasing a cookbook. I just think it makes things easier.
• The recipes are well written and easy to understand. I think even a novice cook would be able top make most of the dishes in the book.
• There is a good variety of different recipes in Da Cajun Critter. I like variety in a cookbook.
• There are no really exotic ingredients in the recipes, so I had no trouble finding the things I needed for these dishes. But, I do live in the South, so this might not be the case in other parts of the country.

Cons:

• There are no photos of the dishes. Photos are very important to me and I feel this is the one thing that would make this book so much better. Sure the recipes sound good, but photos make you want to make that dish right now!
• There are no cooking times listed in the recipes. This is another drawback in my opinion. It is hard to meal plan when you don't know how long you will need to spend in the kitchen.
  

I've made several recipes from the book including Mardi Gras Pork, Milky Way Squares, and Creole Egg Salad. The pork was a taste delight, moist and flavorful. The Milky Way Squares are nothing short of addictive! And the egg salad is one of the best I've ever made. So, yes, I would recommend this cookbook. It is full of recipes that my family really enjoyed.

I was provided a copy of Da Cajun Critter for review purposes. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and have not been reviewed or edited in any way. I received no monetary compensation for this review.