River Roads: Cookbook of the Week

Since this week was all about Cajun Cooking, I though it was only appropriate to feature a Cajun Cookbook!  River Roads is the Junior League of Baton Rouge's Cookbook Empire.  They currently have  4 different, but very Cajun volumes of the cookbook.  It is the #1 best selling community cookbook series in the nation and has some amazing recipes.  I've include one of my favorites and one of the ones that is most unique in my opinion, Spinach Madeleine.

Here's a Little History on Spinach Madeleine:

Madeline Wright developed the original recipe for Spinach Madeleine as a way to use a roll of jalapeño cheese about to go bad in her refrigerator. “I had a two-table bridge club, so I served them the dish,’’ she said. “It made a hit.”

Wright was a young active member of the Junior League when members were compiling recipes for “River Road Recipes.”

“I had to submit three recipes, so I decided to submit the spinach,’’ she said. “I knew the name was important.”

She thought a French-sounding name would work best in a south Louisiana cookbook, so she came up with the name Spinach Madeleine, named not for herself but in the style of the famous French dish Veal Madeleine. “I spelled it with an extra ‘e’ because I was embarrassed that people would think I was naming it for myself,’’ she said.

Spinach Madeleine has become world-famous. “I’m surprised that 50 years later, people are still talking about the recipe,’’ Wright said. “I Googled it once and was shocked to see how many times it came up.” 

Spinach Madeleine

Spinach Madeleine, the most famous recipe from the River Road Recipes cookbook series, has undergone a makeover! Kraft Foods has discontinued making its jalapeno cheese roll which is an important ingredient in the original Spinach Madeleine recipe. As a result, River Road Recipes has developed a substitute for the jalapeno cheese roll. We believe your family will never know the difference!

Ingredients:

2 packages frozen chopped spinach
3/4 teaspoon celery salt
4 tablespoons butter
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons flour
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons chopped onion
6 ounces Kraft Velveeta
1/2 cup evaporated milk
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh jalapeno peppers
1/2 cup vegetable liquor
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Red pepper to taste

Cook spinach according to directions on package. Drain and reserve liquor. Melt butter in saucepan over low heat.

Add flour, stirring until blended and smooth, but not brown. Add onion and cook until soft but not brown. Add liquid slowly, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.

Cook until smooth and thick; continue stirring. Add seasonings, peppers and cheese which has been cut into small pieces. Stir until melted. Combine with cooked spinach.

This may be served immediately or put into a casserole and topped with buttered bread crumbs. The flavor is improved if the latter is done and kept in refrigerator overnight. This may also be frozen.

Serves 5 to 6.
Spinach Madeleine is an extremely versatile dish. It can be served with crackers as an appetizer, as a side dish or even as a main course when stuffed in a tomato!

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We created the original River Road Recipes cookbook.  Share in the secrets of fine Creole and Cajun cooking with the Junior League of Baton Rouge’s award winning cookbook series, River Road Recipes. Since 1959, our award-winning cookbooks have captured the essence of Louisiana cooking and have delighted chefs and guests alike with their delicious recipes. With over 1.9 million books in print, River Road recipes speaks for itself. After all, it is the all-time #1 best selling community cookbook series in the nation. So, delight yourself or someone you know with the gift of River Road Recipes.
Road Recipes I, is The Textbook of Louisiana Cuisine with 650 recipes. It has sold over 1.3 million copies since 1959 and is considered by most to be the textbook of Creole cooking. In fact, The New York Times said, “If there were community cookbook awards, the Oscar for best performance would go hands down to RIVER ROAD RECIPES.” River Road Recipes II, A Second Helping, builds on the success of River Road Recipes I by offering 606 triple tested recipes. 

River Road Recipes III, A Healthy Collection, brings Louisiana cooking into the eating-better, health conscious age by providing reduced fat versions of old recipe favorites. It delights with 341 lower fat and calorie recipes while still retaining the great flavor Cajun cooking is known for. All recipes include a complete nutritional analysis.

River Road Recipes IV, Warm Welcomes, our newest addition, illustrates how we cook, eat and live in Baton Rouge. It features 48 menus, with over 300 innovative recipes, and color photographs to assist with all of your entertaining needs. A USA Book News "Best Books 2005" Award Finalist, Cookbook Category.
River Road Recipes I, II and III are all included in the Walter S. McIlhenny Community Cookbook Hall of Fame. The real winner, however, is the Baton Rouge community, which has benefited from more than $3 million derived from cookbook sales and donated by the Junior League of Baton Rouge to local charitable and educational projects. 

So Enjoy Some Cajun Food This Weekend!