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A Confederacy of Dunces Cookbook: Recipes from Ignatius J. Reilly's New Orleans
In John Kennedy Toole's iconic novel, Ignatius J. Reilly is never short of opinions about food or far away from his next bite. Whether issuing gibes such as "canned food is a perversion," or taking a break from his literary ambitions with "an occasional cheese dip," this lover of Lucky Dogs, caf au lait, and wine cakes navigates 1960s New Orleans focused on gastronomical pursuits.
For the novel's millions of fans, Cynthia LeJeune Nobles's "A Confederacy of Dunces" Cookbook offers recipes inspired by the delightfully commonplace and always delicious fare of Ignatius and his cohorts. Through an informative narrative and almost 200 recipes, Nobles explores the intersection of food, history, and culture found in the Pulitzer Prize--winning novel, opening up a new avenue into New Orleans's rich culinary traditions.
Dishes inspired by Ignatius's favorites -- macaroons and "toothsome" steak -- as well as recipes based on supporting characters -- Officer Mancuso's Pork and Beans and Dr. Talc's Bloody Marys -- complement a wealth of fascinating detail about the epicurean side of the novel's memorable settings. A guide to the D. H. Holmes Department Store's legendary Chicken Salad, the likely offerings of the fictitious German's Bakery, and an in-depth interview with the general manager of Lucky Dogs round out this delightful cookbook.
A lighthearted yet impeccably researched look at the food of the 1960s, "A Confederacy of Dunces" Cookbook reaffirms the singularity and timelessness of both New Orleans cuisine and Toole's comic tour de force."
For the novel's millions of fans, Cynthia LeJeune Nobles's "A Confederacy of Dunces" Cookbook offers recipes inspired by the delightfully commonplace and always delicious fare of Ignatius and his cohorts. Through an informative narrative and almost 200 recipes, Nobles explores the intersection of food, history, and culture found in the Pulitzer Prize--winning novel, opening up a new avenue into New Orleans's rich culinary traditions.
Dishes inspired by Ignatius's favorites -- macaroons and "toothsome" steak -- as well as recipes based on supporting characters -- Officer Mancuso's Pork and Beans and Dr. Talc's Bloody Marys -- complement a wealth of fascinating detail about the epicurean side of the novel's memorable settings. A guide to the D. H. Holmes Department Store's legendary Chicken Salad, the likely offerings of the fictitious German's Bakery, and an in-depth interview with the general manager of Lucky Dogs round out this delightful cookbook.
A lighthearted yet impeccably researched look at the food of the 1960s, "A Confederacy of Dunces" Cookbook reaffirms the singularity and timelessness of both New Orleans cuisine and Toole's comic tour de force."
- GenresCookbooksNonfiction
240 pages, Hardcover
First published October 12, 2015
2 people are currently reading
83 people want to read
About the author
Cynthia Lejeune Nobles
8 books29 followersCookbook editor for LSU Press. Freelancer and former columnist for the Baton Rouge/New Orleans Advocate. Member of Newcomb College Culinary History Writers Group. Certificate of boulangerie from le Cordon Bleu, Paris. BA from the University of New Orleans, American History. Member, Association of Food Journalists. Writing specialties: Food history, recipe development, developmental editing.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 23, 2016
MEDIA REVIEWS:
New York Times Book Review: "Cooking for Dunces," (John Williams, December 18, 2015)
NPR Radio and The Salt: "'A Confederacy of Dunces Cookbook': A Classic Revisited in Recipes," (Steve Inskeep, December 4, 2015)
Parade Magazine: "A Bite of the Bayou," (Alison Ashton, February 7,, 2016)
Boston Metro: "'Juicy Wine Cakes and Other Dunces Delights': Author Cynthia Nobles eats her way through the Pulitzer Prize-winning Novel," (Rachel Raczka, December 8, 2015)
The Picayune: "'Confederacy of Dunces Cookbook' is More Than Recipes," (Judy Walker, October 6, 2015)
The Advocate: "'A Confederacy of Dunces Cookbook' Imagines the Food of New Orleans' Favorite Malcontent," (Cheramie Sonnier, October 7, 2015)
Houston Chronicle: Author Cooks Up 'A Confederacy of Dunces," (Greg Morago, January 25, 2016)
Charlotte Observer: "'A Confederacy of Dunces Cookbook," (Dannye Romine Powell, December 16, 2015.
The Advertiser: "Inside Look at 'Confederacy of Dunces Cookbook,'" (Chere Coen, November 6, 2015)
225 Magazine: "'A Confederacy of Dunces Cookbook,'" (Maggie Heyn Richardson, December 2015)
Country Roads Magazine: 'Three Pounds of Turtle Meat and A Can-Do Attitude,'" (Chris Turner-Neal)
New York Times Book Review: "Cooking for Dunces," (John Williams, December 18, 2015)
NPR Radio and The Salt: "'A Confederacy of Dunces Cookbook': A Classic Revisited in Recipes," (Steve Inskeep, December 4, 2015)
Parade Magazine: "A Bite of the Bayou," (Alison Ashton, February 7,, 2016)
Boston Metro: "'Juicy Wine Cakes and Other Dunces Delights': Author Cynthia Nobles eats her way through the Pulitzer Prize-winning Novel," (Rachel Raczka, December 8, 2015)
The Picayune: "'Confederacy of Dunces Cookbook' is More Than Recipes," (Judy Walker, October 6, 2015)
The Advocate: "'A Confederacy of Dunces Cookbook' Imagines the Food of New Orleans' Favorite Malcontent," (Cheramie Sonnier, October 7, 2015)
Houston Chronicle: Author Cooks Up 'A Confederacy of Dunces," (Greg Morago, January 25, 2016)
Charlotte Observer: "'A Confederacy of Dunces Cookbook," (Dannye Romine Powell, December 16, 2015.
The Advertiser: "Inside Look at 'Confederacy of Dunces Cookbook,'" (Chere Coen, November 6, 2015)
225 Magazine: "'A Confederacy of Dunces Cookbook,'" (Maggie Heyn Richardson, December 2015)
Country Roads Magazine: 'Three Pounds of Turtle Meat and A Can-Do Attitude,'" (Chris Turner-Neal)
November 17, 2015
When John Kennedy Tool wrote “A Confederacy of Dunces” in the 1960s, most people ate at home or visited restaurants for special occasions. They weren’t the “foodies” people are today, nor was there The Food Network shows on TV.
Still, the novel published in 1980 contains references to food, including its main character, eccentric Ignatius J. Railey, pushing a Lucky Dogs chart through the French Quarter and enjoying “an occasional cheese dip.”
Cookbook author Cynthia LeJeune Nobles, a native of Iota and a food columnist for the Advocate of Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Acadiana, has perused the Pulitzer Price-winning novel and explores the food, history and culture of New Orleans in “A Confederacy of Dunces’ Cookbook: Recipes from Ignatius J. Reilly’s New Orleans,” published by LSU Press. Nobles combines quotes from the book, recipes gleaned from a host of resources as well as her own hand and background information that brings to life many of the book’s elements.
There’s the history of chicory in New Orleans’ coffee, the city’s German bakeries, old Creole dishes — even recipes to complement the chapter on Baton Rouge, what Ignatius calls the “whirlpool of despair.” The capital city aside, Nobles takes readers on a culinary and historical tour of New Orleans, following in Ignatius’ footsteps. There’s D.H. Holmes department store, the Prytania Theater and the bars of Bourbon Street — many of which are accented by wonderful old photos.
It’s a fun book on so many levels, but will be especially delightful for the Ignatius lover.
From http://louisianabooknews.blogspot.com...
Still, the novel published in 1980 contains references to food, including its main character, eccentric Ignatius J. Railey, pushing a Lucky Dogs chart through the French Quarter and enjoying “an occasional cheese dip.”
Cookbook author Cynthia LeJeune Nobles, a native of Iota and a food columnist for the Advocate of Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Acadiana, has perused the Pulitzer Price-winning novel and explores the food, history and culture of New Orleans in “A Confederacy of Dunces’ Cookbook: Recipes from Ignatius J. Reilly’s New Orleans,” published by LSU Press. Nobles combines quotes from the book, recipes gleaned from a host of resources as well as her own hand and background information that brings to life many of the book’s elements.
There’s the history of chicory in New Orleans’ coffee, the city’s German bakeries, old Creole dishes — even recipes to complement the chapter on Baton Rouge, what Ignatius calls the “whirlpool of despair.” The capital city aside, Nobles takes readers on a culinary and historical tour of New Orleans, following in Ignatius’ footsteps. There’s D.H. Holmes department store, the Prytania Theater and the bars of Bourbon Street — many of which are accented by wonderful old photos.
It’s a fun book on so many levels, but will be especially delightful for the Ignatius lover.
From http://louisianabooknews.blogspot.com...
January 8, 2016
Wonderful! Not your average cookbook. If you loved A Confederacy of Dunces, if you've ever been interested in New Orleans, or if you just like cooking, this is a perfect book. It contains a mix of new and classic Louisiana recipes, exposition on characters and locations that appeared in or inspired the novel, and extensive research on the cultural and culinary landscapes of 1960s New Orleans, with quotes from the novel scattered throughout. I've loved the original novel for a long time, but I was well aware there were cultural/local references I was missing, so it’s nice to finally understand the significance of places like the Prytania Theatre, Fazzio’s Bowling Alley, and the Woolworth’s store where Burma Jones is accused of stealing cashews – which had been the actual site of a September 1960 civil rights sit in.
Fun, and fantastically researched, there's nearly 200 interesting and delicious-sounding recipes in the book - I've already tried two in the last few days and I can't wait to get onto others.
(There's a longer review over on my blog!)
Fun, and fantastically researched, there's nearly 200 interesting and delicious-sounding recipes in the book - I've already tried two in the last few days and I can't wait to get onto others.
(There's a longer review over on my blog!)
January 1, 2016
Normally, I wouldn't add cookbooks to my reviews and list of read books for the year. It kind of feels like cheating. Today, I make an exception. In addition to some tasty recipes, it is a great literary companion to Toole's masterpiece and the city of New Orleans. You can tell this was a labor of love. The book contains a glossary of terms, places and characters. Peppered between recipes, are some of the best quotes of the book, which remind me why I love the people in the book. Sometimes I forget that Ignatius is not the only creature to pay attention to! This was, by far, the best Christmas present! I am a fan Cynthia Nobles! We should break bread sometime.
March 10, 2016
I'm ready to try almost every recipe in this cookbook! I especially liked the recipes that characters from the book might have cooked.
January 9, 2016
A special, detailed, well-researched tribute to my favorite book. Truly a joy to read.
March 15, 2016
This lovely cookbook is a celebration of the food and culture of New Orleans. The author ties together local history with excerpts from the Pulitzer Prize winner John Kennedy Toole's novel so brilliantly. A delightful read with so many great new recipes to try!
May 21, 2016
A well-written and informative companion to the novel with some interesting recipes that I actually plan to try.
December 1, 2017
A great read for the history of the recipes, as well as the history of food and New Orleans. Plus, the recipes are amazing as well!
August 12, 2023
If you are a fan of the book this cookbook is the perfect companion.
March 30, 2016
I laughed when I saw that someone had attempted such a cookbook, but I was intrigued as I read the reviews and interviews with the author. She was clearly treating the topic seriously and,apparently, she had succeeded in both creating an excellent cookbook as well as doing homage to the great book from which it was generated.
Naturally I was able to persuade someone else to purchase it first. Having passed that aesthetic test and dinner invitation, I offered to peruse at random and choose one for myself for a small group luncheon. It was a superb success and I can give a great deal of credit to the recipe which I tried to leave alone.
In fairness, there are many which are simpler and these recipes are somewhat eclectic without being generic NO recognizable in style. Hence this is a celebration of the book's cuisine memories more than anything else....but it is an inspired effort and sometimes as enjoyable as the book itself with its spirit and background. The great recipes which, alas, I have not yet tried in toto, have been well thought out and well done.Brava!
Naturally I was able to persuade someone else to purchase it first. Having passed that aesthetic test and dinner invitation, I offered to peruse at random and choose one for myself for a small group luncheon. It was a superb success and I can give a great deal of credit to the recipe which I tried to leave alone.
In fairness, there are many which are simpler and these recipes are somewhat eclectic without being generic NO recognizable in style. Hence this is a celebration of the book's cuisine memories more than anything else....but it is an inspired effort and sometimes as enjoyable as the book itself with its spirit and background. The great recipes which, alas, I have not yet tried in toto, have been well thought out and well done.Brava!
December 17, 2016
Seems like more of a coffee table cookbook than one that you would use on a regular basis. But it is a fun read.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews