Marcelle Bienvenu

MARCELLE BIENVENU is a cookbook author and food writer who has been preparing Cajun and Creole dishes since the 1960s. A native of St. Martinville, Louisiana, in the heart of the Cajun country, she has written a weekly food column, Creole Cooking, for The Times Picayune of New Orleans since 1984. She s worked as a researcher and consultant for Time-Life Books, contributing to a series of books titled Foods of the World. She s been featured in Food & Wine, Southern Living, Redbook, The New York Times, Louisiana Life and Acadiana Profile. She is the author of three books: Who s Your Mama, Are You Catholic and Can You Make a Roux?, Who s Your Mama... (The Sequel), and Cajun Cooking for Beginners. She co-authored several cookbooks with renowned chef Emeril Lagasse, including Louisiana: Real & Rustic, Emeril s Creole Christmas, Emeril s TV Dinners and Every Day s A Party. She also co-authored Eula Mae s Cajun Kitchen with Eula Mae Dore longtime cook for the McIlhenny family on Avery Island, and Stir the Pot: The History of Cajun Cuisine, with Carl A. Brasseaux and Ryan A. Brasseaux. Ms. Bienvenu edited the 1987 edition of The Times Picayune s Creole Cookbook, originally published in 1901 and re-issued to celebrate the newspaper s 150th anniversary. She owned and operated a restaurant, Chez Marcelle, near Lafayette, La., in the early 1980s, and has worked for several restaurants, including Commander s Palace and K-Paul s Louisiana Kitchen in New Orleans. A graduate of the University of Southwestern Louisiana, she lives on Bayou Teche in St. Martinville, La., with her husband, Rock Lasserre.