what people are saying
Named a Best New Cookbook of Spring 2020 by Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, NPR’s The Splendid Table, Eater, Epicurious, and more
“Mosquito Supper Club is more than a cookbook. It’s like a manual in how to be a Cajun. Step-by-step photos show how to make a roux, shuck an oyster or peel a crawfish. . . . In the book, Martin documents not just a kitchen, but a whole culture.”
—USA TODAY Network
“A celebration of contemporary New Orleans, a timeless glossary of Cajun cookery, and a careful, practical guide to gathering seasonal ingredients and preparing dishes from duck gumbo to pecan pie. . . . Since Martin’s restaurant is essentially a home kitchen, her recipes are easily adapted to the home cook.
—Eater National
“Mosquito Supper Club . . . is here to try to prevent the region’s Cajun cooking from slowly disappearing. Martin’s as much of a teacher as she is a cook; there’s barely a recipe in here that doesn’t have an extra paragraph of information on ingredient sourcing, prepping, and serving."
—Epicurious
"Rejoice in the photographer Denny Culbert’s evocative images and the chef Melissa M. Martin’s poetic storytelling. . . . [A] stunner of a cookbook.”
—Garden & Gun
“Martin shares the history, traditions, and customs surrounding Cajun cuisine and offers a tantalizing slew of classic dishes. . . . Writing in elegant prose, Martin is less concerned with the still-life plating of entrées than she is with painting the landscape of her upbringing.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Mosquito Supper Club is a lovingly rendered valentine to the sadly disappearing Cajun world. It’s a must-have work for anyone who cares deeply about the food of the United States.”
—Jessica B. Harris, cookbook author, consultant, culinary historian
“With Mosquito Supper Club, Melissa Martin opens the door into the savory-scented kitchens of mothers, aunts, and sisters. She reveals a world that is rich and complicated, a way of life that is sustaining and unique—and she also mourns what we have already lost and stand to lose yet in this endangered region and culture. This book’s fantastic recipes will fill your belly with bounty, but its stories will thrill your heart while tugging at your soul.”
—Ronni Lundy, author of Victuals: An Appalachian Journey, with Recipes
“Home cooks will find equal joy in cooking and eating Melissa Martin’s unique recipes and in reading about her efforts to preserve and share her native culture.”
—Nina Compton, chef and owner, Compère Lapin
“Melissa Martin’s ability to evoke a story, a history, and a sense of place through dishes like Velma Marie’s Oyster Soup is a true testament to her love of where she comes from. Mosquito Supper Club is a stunning tribute to the Cajun way of life.”
—Kelly Fields, chef and author of The Good Book of Southern Baking
“While no one can teach you more about how to expertly eat crawfish or make perfect blackberry dumplings, it’s Melissa’s dedication to the traditions of her community that will affect you the most.”
—Tara Jensen, baker and teacher, Smoke Signals Baking
