"Only a few [Creole and Cajun cookbooks] strive to capture the full breadth of multi-cultural New Orleans; a city with Spanish, French, British, African (slave trade), and Caribbean roots. New Orleans Classic Seafood compiles forty-five signature recipes from the beloved restaurants in New Orleans that embrace this multitude of influence . . . [New Orleans] Classic Seafood is equal parts a restaurant guide and cookbook with wonderful full-page color photographs . . . Best of all, the recipes don't condescend. Any food lover . . . is sure to love the results."

Anyone who's ever dined at a well-known New Orleans restaurant and hoped to re-create its signature dish at home might want to pick up author Kit Wohl's latest gift cookbook. "New Orleans Classic Seafood: Recipes From Favorite Restaurants" not only offers about seven dozen treasured recipes, but also stories about the chefs and restaurateurs who have helped bring culinary acclaim to the featured restaurants.

In addition to spotlighting some of today's top chefs, Wohl includes recipes from some of the celebrated chefs from the city's past. Among them is the late Austin Leslie, who prepared such Creole dishes as Stuffed Shrimp at his restaurant, Chez Heléne.

Gorgeous full-color photographs taken by Wohl and Paul Rico illustrate the 196-page book. A photograph of each completed dish fills a page. The recipe and the restaurant background are on the opposite page.

"New Orleans Classic Seafood" makes a lovely memento of a food lover's visit to New Orleans.