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.
Nobles will sign copies of her book
from noon to 2 p.m. Nov. 14 at E’s Kitchen of Lafayette.
The following is a Q and A with the
author and a sample recipe:
Q: How did you go
about writing the book? Had you been a fan of the novel? Did you see a cookbook
out of Ignatius’ rantings?
A: Alisa Plant,
former acquisitions editor at LSU Press, asked if I knew anyone who might be
interested in writing a cookbook based on the novel “Confederacy of Dunces” and
I immediately said I'd take the job. I read John Kennedy Toole's novel years
ago and remember drooling whenever I read about Santa Battaglia cooking daube,
shrimp and oysters, and Ignatius gorging on wine cakes, macaroons, and
doughnuts. Like most other “Dunces” fans, I laughed out loud at Ignatius' antics, but I also looked forward to learning what the characters would eat
next.
To write the cookbook, I first
re-read the novel and made notes of every single food mentioned. I then
included recipes in my cookbook for virtually every one of those foods,
including from-scratch wieners and buns, and homemade pork and beans (Sergeant
Mancuso sees a pork and bean advertisement patching Mrs. Reilly's broken car
window).
I also downloaded the novel on my
iPad, did a search on all the foods, and included the complete quotes referring
to those foods in my cookbook. I think mine is one of the few comedy cookbooks
out there.
Most of the 200 recipes are mine,
but a few are from chefs and long-time New Orleans cooks. Dr. Robert Cangelosi,
who grew up in the French Quarter, gave me his old family recipe for stuffed
pasta, and food expert Maureen Detweiler gave me her recipe for potato salad
that she's been making for over 50 years. Maureen also gave me the original
Oysters Dunbar recipe.
In the chapter on John Kennedy
Toole, I write about Toole's tenure teaching at ULL. For that chapter I include
recipes from two Lafayette cooks — my cousin Kathy Comeaux's crawfish étouffée,
and former restauranteur Ruby Sharlow was kind enough to give me her recipe for
her famous chicken and sausage gumbo.
Many recipes also relate to chapter
titles. For example, I include a chapter on the German bakery, which was based
on an actual bakery named Schwabe's. In this chapter there's recipes for iconic
New Orleans pastries, such as Russian Cake, Italian Cream Cake, Doberge Cake,
and jelly-filled doughnuts. Honestly, I gained ten pounds writing that chapter.
I use narrative to start each
chapter and in them explain the story behind the story. Walgreen's, for
example, was the actual site of a 60s civil rights sit-in. Bourbon street
strippers were doing their acts with props (like Darlene), and, yes, there
really was a Fazzio's Bowling Alley, and yes, we all have a pyloric valve!
Q: How does the novel use New Orleans as a
culinary destination? Or does it?
A: Toole
definitely uses New Orleans as a culinary destination. Where else can you find
daube, cafe au lait, and spaghetti and shrimp? And envisioning Santa
Battaglia's mama selling seafood at the Lautenschlaeger Market and Santa
herself cracking open oysters on the banquette tells everyone that New Orleans
is definitely a top spot for seafood. Yes, Toole was satirizing New Orleans
food, but he also created a giant culinary advertisement.
Q: The book takes
place in the 1960s. How have things food-wise changed since then?
A: On the whole,
the 60s was the height of the use of convenience foods, and most homemakers,
like Ignatius' mother, Mrs. Reilly, were turning to canned and frozen goods.
Things have certainly changed, thanks to the farm-to-table movement and a
greater focus on nutrition.
Regarding restaurants, back then,
hardly anyone went out to eat. Most of the clientele at upscale restaurants
were tourists or the wealthy. Unlike today, back then, the average family ate
strictly at home. This is reflected in the fact that, aside from Ignatius
selling weenies from a cart, Toole does not have any of his characters eat in a
restaurant. If the novel was written today, I doubt this scenario would be the
same.
Q: What’s your
favorite recipe?
A: My favorite
recipe is Wine Cakes. There's something addictive about a cute little pound
cake soaked in alcohol and topped with whipped cream and a cherry.
Q: What’s your
favorite food story from the novel?
A: Darlene,
Ignatius, and Mrs. Reilly are sitting at the Night of Joy strip club, and they
have a long, hilarious conversation about food. Darlene likes Spanish rice from
a can (yuck), and Ignatius says that his mother "doesn't cook, she
burns." He also calls canned food a "perversion," and suspects
that it is "ultimately very damaging to the soul." That's sort of
ironic coming from a guy whose favorite foods are doughnuts and cake.
Q: And since you’re
from Iota, what’s your favorite dish from Acadiana?
A: My mom, Clarice, makes the best seafood gumbo EVER (and everyone who's ever eaten it agrees).
A: My mom, Clarice, makes the best seafood gumbo EVER (and everyone who's ever eaten it agrees).
Tried-and-True Oyster
Dressing
Recipe by Mrs. Octavia Marie Sansovich, from “A Confederacy
of Dunces Cookbook”
Oyster dressing (stuffing) is typically served in South
Louisiana during the holidays. For generations, this traditional recipe has
been served by the Sansovich family, who are originally from Hvar, Croatia,
and who were oyster purveyors in New Orleans from the late nineteenth through
early twentieth centuries. During that time, New Orleans processors sent wagons
to purchase oysters from the luggers and two-masted schooners that docked at
the Old Basin Canal. Another oyster landing site was at Bayou St. John. Yet
another, the “Picayune Pier,” also known as “Lugger Bay,” sat at the foot of
Dumaine Street.
1 pint oysters
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 large onion, chopped
1/3 cup chopped green onions
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 of a 15-inch loaf day-old French bread, cut into ½-inch
cubes
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
⅛ teaspoon ground thyme
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup buttered bread crumbs
Directions: Preheat oven to 350°F. Drain oysters, reserving liquid. Wash oysters, cut each in half, and return to oyster liquid. Set aside. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, and sauté onion, green onion, celery, and garlic. Drain oysters again, reserving liquid. When vegetables are tender, add oysters, bread, parsley, remaining 1 tablespoon butter, salt, black pepper, cayenne, and thyme. Heat through thoroughly, then remove from heat. Slowly combine egg with oyster mixture. Add enough reserved oyster liquid to moisten slightly. (Be careful—too much liquid makes the dressing gummy.) Spoon dressing into a 4-quart casserole dish, and top with bread crumbs. Bake, uncovered, until deep golden brown, about 1 hour. Serve warm.
Directions: Preheat oven to 350°F. Drain oysters, reserving liquid. Wash oysters, cut each in half, and return to oyster liquid. Set aside. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, and sauté onion, green onion, celery, and garlic. Drain oysters again, reserving liquid. When vegetables are tender, add oysters, bread, parsley, remaining 1 tablespoon butter, salt, black pepper, cayenne, and thyme. Heat through thoroughly, then remove from heat. Slowly combine egg with oyster mixture. Add enough reserved oyster liquid to moisten slightly. (Be careful—too much liquid makes the dressing gummy.) Spoon dressing into a 4-quart casserole dish, and top with bread crumbs. Bake, uncovered, until deep golden brown, about 1 hour. Serve warm.
Cheré Dastugue 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.” She
also writes Louisiana romances under the pen name of Cherie Claire, “A Cajun
Dream” and “The Letter.” Write
her at cherecoen@gmail.com.
