Keeping Kosher

Creole and Cajun Style

Appears in
Louisiana Eats!: The People, the Food, and Their Stories
Louisiana Eats!

By Poppy Tooker

Published 2013

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Photograph courtesy David Gallent

Keeping kosher in south Louisiana can be a daunting task, considering the overwhelming presence of pork and shellfish—both forbidden in kosher kitchens but essential in Creole and Cajun cuisine.

Mildred Covert grew up in a Creole kosher household and has continued to keep kosher her entire life. The innovative adaptations of local flavors that began with her Polish immigrant grandmother eventually inspired Mildred to co-author, with her friend Sylvia Gerson, many books, including Kosher Creole Cooking and Kosher Cajun Cooking. These seminal works are still beloved by kosher cooks everywhere.