The 2025 Louisiana Book Festival will be held on Saturday, November 1.
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Melissa M. Martin

Home Featured Authors & Panelists Featured Participant Lineup Melissa M. Martin

Melissa M. Martin grew up on the Louisiana coast and has lived in New Orleans for over 25 years. Her first book, Mosquito Supper Club, was named a Best New Cookbook by Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, NPR, The Splendid Table, Eater, and Epicurious, among others. In 2022, Martin was given the James Beard Award for writing the Best Book in U.S. Foodways and the IACP named it the Cookbook of the Year and Best American Cookbook.

 

Schedule

10:00 am to 10:45 am

State Capitol, Senate Chamber

Bayou: Feasting Through the Seasons of a Cajun Life

 with Melissa M. Martin and moderator Elizabeth M. Williams

 

11:00 am to 11:45 am

Cavalier House Books Tent

Book Signing

Bayou: Feasting Through the Seasons of a Cajun Life

Award-winning author of Mosquito Supper Club, Melissa Martin shares a year in the life of South Louisiana cooking and all the dishes that are eaten to celebrate life’s big and small moments. 

People on the Louisiana bayou mark the seasons of the Cajun calendar with traditions, emotions, and gatherings around the table to feast. In this highly anticipated next book from the author of the James Beard Award-winning Mosquito Supper Club, Melissa Martin shares a year of celebrations, both big and small, through 100 Southern Louisiana recipes that combine humble ingredients, such as onions, potatoes, and peppers, and the local bounty, including shrimp and crabs. Made-to-share recipes like Carnival Crawfish Boil and Etouffee ring in the New Year and kickstart the Carnival season, which is a time for abundance and decadence. Lent unfolds with simple, fresh foods like Cabbage Slaw and Fried Fish Collars. Summer ushers in the bright bounty of shrimp season. Families and friends band together in October for boucheries, feasting on Cracklins and Back Bone Stew, then gather with loved ones for hearty homey holiday dishes like Fried Turkey, Holiday Dressing, and Red Velvet Cake. With illuminating sidebars and stunning photography, Martin illustrates what Cajun people already know: the table is a place for restoration, nourishment, and communion.