Recipes and Memoirs of a Creole Cook

Book excerpt: Twain Michael Henry loves to cook. His grandparents were Philip and Claudia Randolph of Randolph Caterers. They won many bids to cater some of the biggest Mardi Gras balls in New Orleans. He took a genuine interest in cooking even after both of his grandparents passed on. One day when he was thirteen, his mother accepted a large party to cater. Unfortunately, two days before the function, she was admitted to the hospital. Her first instinct should have been to cancel, but she had more confidence in Twain than that. It took him through the night and the next day, but he had it done on time and in boxes for his brother to take to Audubon Place. Those days of doing things one way, the right way, paid off. From that day on, there wasnʼt anything he couldnʼt do if he put his mind to it; especially in a pot. Recipes and Memoirs of a Creole Cook is a New Orleans compilation of personal and family recipes created and enjoyed through the years. In addition, most of the recipes begin with a comical story that may or may not have anything to do with the recipe. Some of the stories are accompanied by illustrations that attempt to bring a visual picture to the situation at hand. He started this effort in 1997 and printed and sold about 600 copies. It was a small scale project, filled with stories, but with no pictures of the finished recipes. Since then, his cooking expertise has further improved. He has owner/chef restaurant years under his belt, although heʼll be the first to say that he is not classically trained. He has also since won several 1st Place awards for dishes enclosed in this book and still appears as a chef for multiple charity events every year. His favorite charity, however, is Scholars Inc., as he founded it in 2007 to help African-American youth in his local school district to compete for life, scholarships and US Academy Appointments. This book will be given to donors and sold to the mildly curious. All proceeds will go to Scholars Inc. The recipes in this book range from easy to complex. The flavors, no matter how they end up, have their roots in New Orleans. He has traveled to many states and countries eager to return with ideas and flavors to enhance his native cuisine. This book is the culmination of most of what he has learned. It is a historical document of his family that he is happy to share with anyone who wants to partake.