‘River Road Recipes’ is 50

Fifty years ago last week, spinach Madeline and more than 600 other South Louisiana recipes from Baton Rouge families were published in what would become the best-selling community cookbook ever, River Road Recipes. The Junior League of Baton Rouge first conceived the idea as a fundraiser well before community cookbooks were popular. The book has not only endured, but spawned three subsequent volumes all of which have helped the League provide more than $3 million in charitable contributions and launch several local nonprofits.

While all the “River Roads,” as they’re referred to, have their own charm, I find this one completely inspiring. It might have been created by Baton Rouge’s upper crust, but it’s a book that reflects the absolute joy that comes from laboring in the kitchen. Many of the recipes require the reader have experience at the stove, and few rely on convenience foods. There is remarkable appreciation within for taking time to put a dish together – particularly when it’s going on a family table.

Cookbooks are so showy these days, but few have real soul. This one does.