New Orleans Cookbooks

All time best:
The New Orleans Cookbook by Rima and Richard Collins (Out of Print)
Notable:
New Orleans Food by Tom Fitzmorris
Chasing the Gator by Isaac Toups
My New Orleans by John Besh

quote:

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New Orleans Food by Tom Fitzmorris

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The only one you need.

GOAT

Anything by Tom Fitzmorris

His worst book is better than anyone’s best

I received Beshs my Louisiana book a few years ago. It’s cold garbage

Frank Davis seafood notebook
Dooky Chase cookbook
Paul prudhomme LA kitchen

La Bouche Creole, and its sequels, by Leon Soniat. Old fashioned but wonderful creole home cooking....not cheffy, restaurant style stuff. His grillades recipe is the foundation for mine, and he’s got some charming anecdotes about early/mid 20th century life in NOLA.

I know you wanted the best, but this bibliography from a few years ago may give you some ideas. Personally I like the New Orleans Cookbook.

For homestyle recipes, I like Cooking Up a Storm and From Wood Stoves to Microwaves: Cooking with Entergy although that last one is out of print. I could give you a PDF of it if you're interested to see it.

For restaurant style recipes, try The New Orleans Chefs' Cookbook. It's a selection of the best recipes from the Chef's Charity for Children edited by Phil Johnson of WWL TV.

Bibliography of Creole and Cajun Cookbooks

The 100 Greatest New Orleans Creole Recipes by Roy F. Guste Jr. (1997 reprint)

After The Hunt - Louisiana’s Authoritative Collection of Wild Game & Game Fish Cookery by Chef John D. Folse (2007)

American cooking: Creole and Acadian (Foods of the world) by Peter S Feibleman (1971)

And Still I Cook by Leah Chase (2003)

Antoine’s Restaurant Cookbook by Roy F. Guste, Jr. (1980)

Arnaud’s Restaurant Cookbook by Kit Wohl, Linda Ellerbee (foreward), David Spielman (2005)

Austin Leslie’s Creole-Soul: New Orleans’ Cooking With a Soulful Twist by Austin Leslie and Marie Rudd Posey (2000)

Breakfast at Brennan’s and Dinner, too: The original and most recent recipes from New Orleans’ world-famous Brennan’s Restaurant and a tribute to its founder, Owen Edward Brennan by Pip Brennan, Jimmy Brennan, and Ted Brennan (1994)

Brennan’s New Orleans Cookbook by Hermann Deutsch (1961)

The Buster Holmes Restaurant Cookbook: New Orleans Handmade Cookin’ by Buster Holmes (1983)

Cane River Cuisine: Louisiana’s Finest Recipes by Service League of Natchitoches Inc. (1987)

Cajun-Creole Cooking by Terry Thompson (Anderson) (1986)

Cajun Cuisine: Authentic Cajun Recipes from Louisiana’s Bayou Country by W. Thomas Angers (1985)

Cajun Men Cook: Recipes, Stories & Food Experiences from Louisiana Cajun Country by Beaver Club of Lafayette (1997)

Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen by Paul Prudhomme (1984)

Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Tastes: Exciting Flavors from the State That Cooks by Paul Prudhomme (2000)

Chez Helene: House of good food by Austin Leslie (1984)

Commander’s Kitchen by Jamie Shannon and Ti Adelaide Martin (2000)

Commander’s Palace New Orleans Cookbook by Ella Brennan and Dick Brennan (1984)

Cooking With Cajun Women: Recipes and Remembrances From South Louisiana Kitchens by Nicole Denee Fontenot (2002)

Creole Feast by Nathaniel Burton & Rudy Lombard (1978)

Creole Gumbo And All That Jazz: A New Orleans Seafood Cookbook by Howard Mitcham (1978)

Crescent City Cooking: Unforgettable Recipes From Susan Spicer’s New Orleans (2007)

The Dooky Chase Cookbook by Leah Chase (1990)

Emeril’s Delmonico : A Restaurant with a Past by Emeril Lagasse (2005)

Emeril’s New New Orleans Cooking by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch (1993)

The Encyclopedia of Cajun & Creole Cuisine by John D. Folse (2004)

The Evolution of Cajun and Creole Cuisine by John D. Folse (1989)

From Wood Stoves to Microwaves: Cooking with Entergy - this book is no longer available for free download in Adobe (PDF) format. Here is where you can order a hard copy..

Galatoire’s Cookbook : Recipes and Family History from the Time-Honored New Orleans Restaurant by Melvin Rodrigue, Jyl Benson (2005)

Galatoire’s Restaurant Cookbook by Leon Galatoire (1994)

Gumbo Shop : A New Orleans Restaurant Cookbook by Richard Stewart (1999)

Hot Beignets & Warm Boudoirs by John Folse, John D. Folse (Editor), Ron Manville, Michaela D. York

Jambalaya, Crawfish Pie, File Gumbo: Cajun and Creole Cuisine by Todd-Michael St. Pierre

Justin Wilson’s Homegrown Louisiana Cookin’ by Justin Wilson (1990)

Justin Wilson Cook Book by Justin Wilson (1973)

Justin Wilson Number Two Cookbook: Cookin Cajun by Justin Wilson (1980)

LA Bouche Creole by Leon Soniat (1990 reprint)

Lafcadio Hearn’s Creole Cook Book (1885) by Lafcadio Hearn (1990)

Lee Bailey’s New Orleans: Good Food And Glorious Houses by Lee Bailey with Ella Brennan (1993)

LeRuth’s front door back door cookbook by Warren Leruth (1975)

Louisiana Real and Rustic by Emeril Lagasse and Marcelle Bienvenu (1996)

Louis Evans’ Creole Cookbook by Louis Evans (1991)

The Mr. B’s Bistro Cookbook: Simply Legendary Recipes From New Orleans’s Favorite French Quarter Restaurant by Cindy Brennan (2005)

New Orleans Chef’s Cookbook by Phil Johnson (1988)

New Orleans Classic Desserts: Recipes From Favorite Restaurants by Kit Wohl (2007)

New Orleans Classic Seafood by Kit Wohl (2008)

The New Orleans Cookbook by Rima and Richard Collin (1987)

The New Orleans Restaurant Cookbook by Deirdre Stanforth (1976)

The Picayune’s Creole Cookbook by The Picayune

Plantation Cookbook: Junior League of New Orleans by Junior League of New Orleans (1992)

The Prudhomme Family Cookbook: Old-Time Louisiana Recipes by the Eleven Prudhomme Brothers and Sisters and Chef Paul Prudhomme by Paul Prudhomme (1987)

Talk About Good by Lafayette Junior League Members, Junior League of Lafayette (1967)

Talk About Good II by Lafayette Junior League, Junior League of Lafayette (1997)

Uglesich’s Restaurant Cookbook by John Uglesich, Neil Alexander (photographer) (2004)

Who’s your mama, are you Catholic, and can you make a roux?: A family album cookbook by Marcelle Bienvenu (1991)

Williams Sonoma New Orleans (2005)

The New Orleans Kitchen by Justin Devillier.

This is my favorite as well. I will occasionally run across a good copy and buy them as gifts for friends and family.

After reading this thread, I just went on abe books and bought..
Cooking Up a Storm: Recipes Lost and Found from The Times-Picayune of New Orleans and Tom Fitzmorris's New Orleans Food..

Not necessarily Nola, but both of Donald Links cookbooks are fantastic. Fairly simple recipes and the books open nicely while reading and cooking. Others I own are bound like novels which is pointless.