"Packed with family anecdotes and lore, this cookbook eases you into the kitchen by way of a personal invitation to “visit” with the family. Like any good Southern host, Butler offers hospitality capped with great food and lively drink. Create chicken and sausage gumbo from the recipe offered by Oak Alley Plantation or mix a brisk Nottoway Plantation mint julep while you read about the Randolph girls and their life on the White Castle, Louisiana, homestead. Also prominently displayed are recipes from hardworking fishermen who earn a living harvesting seafood from Louisiana waters. The ingredients for stuffed seafood, including fish, crabs, and shrimp, come from the far reaches of Grand Isle, a barrier island offering recreation and community life" -- publisher website (January 2007).