Area eateries Pujo Street Cafe and Anna’s Old Fashioned Pies both get a mention in “Louisiana Sweets: King Cakes, Bread Pudding & Sweet Dough Pie,” a new culinary history book from Lafayette author Dixie Poché.

Pujo Street’s bread pudding and Anna’s pies made the cut after Poché, a travel and corporate writer, sampled dishes throughout the state. Her book focuses on 60 venues renowned for their desserts.

“I did some online research as well as ‘word of mouth’ recommendations to find both  these Lake Charles venues,” said Poché. “Pujo Street Cafe appealed to me because it is in an old building — Gordon’s Drug Store, built 1886. Also, one of my father’s first assignments as a teacher in Lake Charles was at a school located on Pujo Street.”

Poché calls the Pujo Street bread pudding “fabulous.”

“I like the story of bread pudding as many thrifty Louisiana cooks like to ‘reuse’ stale bread rather than throwing it out. It’s a simple dessert yet much loved for both casual and fine dining,” she said.

If she had to pick a favorite of all the dessert stops she visited, Poché said Anna’s Old Fashioned Pies, 2323 Moeling St., would be among them. 

“The lovely smells and sight of tasty treats at Anna’s convinced me that I should add them to the book. Their sweet potato pie is to die for,” she said.

Other favorites:

lMorel’s Restaurant along False River in New Roads, which began as a bait shop and grew from there. One of their key desserts: Peach cobbler.

lChampagne’s Bakery in Breaux Bridge, which is over 125 years old. Key dessert: Pink cookies.

Among Louisiana culinary trivia Poché shares in the book:

lEarly customers of Lea’s Lunchroom’s pies in central Louisiana included outlaws Bonnie and Clyde, who dropped by while they were on the run.

lDuring the 1950s, Hank Williams Sr. and Elvis Presley hung out at Shreveport’s Southern Maid Donuts. 

“Louisiana Sweets” also explores the history behind popular sweets such as pralines, Bananas Foster, gateau de sirop, pain perdu, doberge cake, and sweet dough pie. 

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“Louisiana Sweets: King Cakes, Bread Pudding & Sweet Dough Pie” by Dixie Poché is a 176-page paperback published by Arcadia Publishing. The book is available at local bookstores and at amazon.com. For signed copies, contact the author at dixie.poche@gmail.com.

“Louisiana Sweets: King Cakes, Bread Pudding & Sweet Dough Pie” by Dixie Poche. 

Special to the American Press