From Monroe to Morgan City, Natchitoces to New Orleans, Lake Charles to Lake Pontchartrain, fifty of the leading cookbooks from Louisiana have contributed their favorite recipes to create this remarkable collection.

Louisiana is a special place for a lot of reasons, one of which is the tradition of preparing and serving delicious food. Best of the Best from Louisiana has gathered together a selection of recipes that captures this truly unique culinary heritage. Regional favorites such as Crawfish Etouffee, Cajun Red Beans and Rice, King Cake, Hurricane Punch, and Creamy Smooth Pecan Pralines are just a sampling of the over 400 or so recipes included in these pages.
 

Gwen McKee is a publisher with a mission. As the co-founder (with her husband, Barney) and the editor-in-chief of Quail Ridge Press, she has dedicated the past two decades to preserving America's food heritage. Through Quail Ridge Press, Gwen has now accomplished much of this task by creating the 50-volume Best of the Best State Cookbook Series that includes over 20,000 classic recipes. Today Quail Ridge Press is one of the most successful regional publishers, and certainly one of the most thriving publishing houses owned by a woman.

Gwen's interest in preserving "real" American food came naturally. Like most native Southerners, she was influenced by a family immersed in the traditions of Southern cooking and entertaining. Over a period of many years, Gwen collected recipes that were handed down through her family for traditional holidays and reunions.