This past Christmas, my favorite gift came in the form of a hulking 1976 cookbook that contains all the flavors of my childhood. Titled Pots, Pans, and Pioneers, the book is a staple in many kitchens across Louisiana, containing the recipes for everything from five-cup salad to Depression chocolate pie alongside Creole favorites like crawfish étouffée and chicken and oyster gumbo.

Pots, Pans, and Pioneers is not a particularly well-known cookbook, at least outside of Louisiana: It’s actually a collection