Cookbook Tuesday: New Orleans cuisine in a slow cooker

            I’m all about easy when it comes to cooking but I hail from New Orleans and live in Lafayette, surrounding by the best food imaginable, so ordinary meals don’t fit my bill. That’s why I was excited to see “In a While, Crocodile: New Orleans Slow Cooker Recipes” by sisters Patrice Keller Kononchek and Lauren Malone Keller, a collection of recipes you can add to the slow cooker and let it do its magic, then return to a delicious meal that live up to Louisiana standards.

            The book is published by Pelican Publishing out of New Orleans and includes recipes that include barbecue shrimp, cochon de lait with beef broth (recipe below), mock turtle soup, grits and grillades and bananas foster.

            Clocking in at $21.95 (less online and from the publisher), “In a While, Crocodile” also makes a great holiday gift.

Mais Oui Cochon de Lait

1 4-5 pound pork butt

6 cloves garlic, whole

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 teaspoon coriander

1 12-ounce can beer

1 12-ounce can beef broth

            Directions: Cut 6 evenly spaced slits in top of pork butt and insert a garlic clove into each slit. Place pork butt in the slow cooker.

            Spread mustard over the top of the meat.

            In a separate bowl, combine chili powder, pepper, and coriander. Sprinkle spice mixture evenly over the top of the meat.

            Pour beer around the pork, not over the top. Add enough beef broth to bring the liquid near the top of the pork, but do not cover.

            Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours or until pork falls apart.

Cheré Coen is the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country: A Historic Guide to Acadiana” and co-author of “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets.” Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.