New York – Will H Coleman 1885. 1st ed. (iv), 1p intro (with brülot in ninth line), (i), [1]-268 (ii). Pale brown endpapers, green cloth lettered and decorated in gilt and black on upper board. Spine darkened, head and tail frayed, some creasing at hinges of endpaper (binder’s error), ownership inscription dated “London 1895,” and small bookseller’s label (W B Clarke & Carruth, Boston), on front free endpaper, one or two corners creased as bookmarks, a few recipes highlighted with a light pencil line in margin, some light yellowing, else contents clean. Near very good. “Lafcadio Hearn's La Cuisine Creole is the first Creole cookbook, one of the great rare classics of the culture. Among its recipes, collected "from leading chefs and noted Creole housewives," are gumbos with oysters, okra, and shrimp; "grenouilles frites" or fried frogs; plum, sweet potato, and gingerbread pudding; and a number of beverages, several of which use absinthe as the main ingredient. Lafcadio Hearn spent close to a dozen years in New Orleans, starting in 1877. During that time, his writings significantly shaped the impressions, myths, and symbols of the Crescent City, many of which live on to this day.“