Mississippi Gulf Coast...Post Katrina Vol. 2

Hurricane Katrina pounded the Mississippi Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005. Winds blew up to 175 miles-per-hour. Atop a 35-foot tall storm surge wall of ocean water rolled 17-foot waves. The storm raged for 12 hours, devastating a 90,000-square-mile area. More than 65,000 buildings were lost, 600 of which were listed on the National Register of Historic Places, while hundreds of thousands more were damaged. A total of 1,800 lives were lost.

I had visited the region for the first time just months prior to the storm and when watching TV coverage of it I couldn't help but worry about my new friends. I was concerned about how folks personally fared and also about the region as a whole since tourism contributes $6.5 billion to Mississippi’s economy each year—a third of that figure earned in the Gulf Coast region alone.

Since the storm, I've been back to the Gulf Coast several times. It is definitely "open for business." As a tourist, there's much to enjoy.

As a culinary tourist, the news is even better: The overall quality of restaurants throughout the region has improved.

“We joke that a lot of recipe books washed ashore,” says Janice Jones, of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau, referring to the number of higher-caliber restaurants now open. Indeed, visitors to the Mississippi Gulf Coast have no excuse to go hungry.

While I do recommend that you visit the region--your tourism dollars will support a community that needs it--you can also enjoy flavors from the Mississippi Gulf Coast at home: Cook some of the best recipes by Gulf Coast chefs with guidance from the cookbook Mississippi Gulf Coast Casino & Local Restaurants Post Hurricane Katrina Volume II. (Of course, Volume I is also available.)

"Many of our restaurants owners along the coast not only lost their homes, but their livelihood as well," write Lee and Linda Eschler in the foreword. "Some rebuilt, while others relocated and within a few years, many new restaurants came to be. This book is about the resilience of these restaurateurs and their determination to rebuild the Mississippi Gulf Coast in the face of such adversity."

The 260-page book features 19 restaurants and hundreds of recipes. Among the temptations are pastas, pizzas, vegetables, bread puddings, shrimp & grits, barbecue, oysters, fried chicken, regional basics like roux and much more.

In addition to recipes and restaurant and casino histories, the book includes 26 feature stories plus information about regional history and top tourism destinations.

Bottom Line: A cookbook with significance beyond food.