My Creole-Cali Kitchen: Louisiana Roots with California Flavors

Rondeno’s debut cookbook perfectly encapsulates his own culinary journey from the soulful Cajun-Creole cooking of his Louisiana birthplace to the vibrant flavors of California he injects into the dishes he now prepares as a private chef to celebrities in Los Angeles. After educating cooks about the ingredients and equipment he finds essential, Rondeno serves up a dazzling display of more than 100 recipes, beginning with “Small Bites” and ending with “Sweet Bites” (desserts). In between, cooks will discover a wide range of ingeniously flavored dishes, ranging from crawfish enchiladas with morita chile peppers and cotija pepitas to yuzu and 7 Up pound cake with black sesame ice cream and pistachios. Recipes for libations, such as grapefruit-rosemary mezcal, and building-block ingredients, including those for mayonnaise and assorted spice rubs (the author is the creator of Rondeno Spice Collection), are also provided.