Murder Etouffee

Book excerpt: When visiting New Orleans years ago, I searched for a book that would give me a quick feel for the City - a collection of information and ideas about culture and cuisine, along with a historical overview. Sadly, no such document existed. I wrote "Murder Etouffee" to correct this vacancy and to provide visitors to the Big Easy with a wealth of ideas and information to help them enjoy their stay in the city. "Murder Etouffee" is a collection of stories about Louisiana and New Orleans in particular. It also contains regional recipes and cooking tips that embody Creole and Cajun cuisine - stories and recipes giving readers an authentic "feel" for the people of New Orleans. Lagniappe is a French word meaning a gift or something extra, and "Murder Etouffee" gives its readers a "little something extra," taking them on a whimsical and historical tour of one of the most unique regions in the United States - a region recently subjected to the worst natural disaster in the history of this country.