New Orleans in the 1920's is a city of many faces. The gaiety of Mardi Gras is juxtaposed with the rampant corruption that earned New Orleans the nickname "The City That Care Forgot." The genteel decline of the French Quarter, the location of the city's original settlement, stands in contrast to the rich opulence of the Garden District, where the Americans later built their mansions. Voodoo and Catholicism exist peacefully side by side. And beneath it all, the face of the Mythos can sometimes be glimpsed .... This guidebook includes detailed chapters on: the history of New Orleans, the French Quarter and the greater city, and the bayous and coastal area. A chapter on voodoo includes guidelines for integrating it into Call of Cthulhu. New occupations unique to the Crescent City and the area are suggested, and five secret societies are covered. A scenario designed to acquaint investigators with most of New Orleans' areas completes the book.

The tale begins over three-hundred years ago, when the Fair People—the goblins, fairies, dragons, and other fabled and fantastic creatures of a dozen lands—fled the Old World for the New, seeking haven from the ways of Man. With them came their precious jewels: diamonds, rubies, emeralds, pearls... But then the Fair People vanished, taking with them their twelve fabulous treasures. And they remained hidden until now... Across North America, these twelve treasures, over ten-thousand dollars in precious jewels, are buried. The key to finding each can be found within the twelve full color paintings and verses of The Secret. Yet The Secret is much more than that. At long last, you can learn not only the whereabouts of the Fair People's treasure, but also the modern forms and hiding places of their descendants: the Toll Trolls, Maitre D'eamons, Elf Alphas, Tupperwerewolves, Freudian Sylphs, Culture Vultures, West Ghosts and other delightful creatures in the world around us. The Secret is a field guide to them all. Many "armchair treasure hunt" books have been published over the years, most notably Masquerade (1979) by British artist Kit Williams. Masquerade promised a jewel-encrusted golden hare to the first person to unravel the riddle that Williams cleverly hid in his art. In 1982, while everyone in Britain was still madly digging up hedgerows and pastures in search of the golden hare, The Secret: A Treasure Hunt was published in America. The previous year, author and publisher Byron Preiss had traveled to 12 locations in the continental U.S. (and possibly Canada) to secretly bury a dozen ceramic casques. Each casque contained a small key that could be redeemed for one of 12 jewels Preiss kept in a safe deposit box in New York. The key to finding the casques was to match one of 12 paintings to one of 12 poetic verses, solve the resulting riddle, and start digging. Since 1982, only two of the 12 casques have been recovered. The first was located in Grant Park, Chicago, in 1984 by a group of students. The second was unearthed in 2004 in Cleveland by two members of the Quest4Treasure forum. Preiss was killed in an auto accident in the summer of 2005, but the hunt for his casques continues.

Far from the crowds and the usual clichés, New Orleans offers countless off-beat experiences and is home to any number of well-hidden treasures that are revealed only to residents and travellers who find their way off the beaten track. An indispensable guide for those who thought they knew New Orleans well or would like to discover the other face of the city.

Before there were celebrity gourmands, Creole Feast brought together the stories and knowledge of New Orleans top chefs when it was first presented in 1978. These masters of modern Creole cuisine share the recipes, tips, and tricks from the kitchens of New Orleans' most famous restaurants, including Dooky Chase, Commander's Palace, Broussard's, and Galatoire's. Today, Creole Feast still stands as the most comprehensive collection of Creole recipes assembled in one volume. The recipes include classic dishes synonymous with New Orleans, such as gumbo, jambalaya, and red beans and rice, and also luxurious Creole dishes like Lobster Armorican and Oysters Bienville, plus tempting desserts like Creole bread pudding with whiskey sauce and the famous old Hotel Pontchantrain's Mile High Pie. With this classic now back in print, home cooks will turn their kitchens into some of New Orleans premiere restaurants, helped along by fifteen master chefs.

C. Ray Nagin was Mayor of New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit. He weighs in on the chaotic days leading up to and following the biggest natural and man-made disaster in America's history. He delivers exacting detail on the city's relief effort, and exposes secrets that have been glossed over or spun out.

One of New Orlean's best chefs divulges his culinary secrets, among them: Trout Mousse, Roast Long Island Duck, Lamb Curry, Barbados Rum Trifle, and the author's very special chocolate cake.

With contributions from Karen Leathem, Patricia Kennedy Livingston, Michael Mizell-Nelson, Cynthia LeJeune Nobles, Sharon Stallworth Nossiter, Sara Roahen, and Susan Tucker New Orleans Cuisine: Fourteen Signature Dishes and Their HistoriesNew Orleans Cuisine shows how ingredients, ethnicities, cooks, chefs, and consumers all converged over time to make the city a culinary capital.

Secrets of the Bayou By Alice Lunsford When Karen receives a letter from a long-lost relative, she doesn’t think much of it. In fact, she just wants to throw the letter away. However, her quirky roommate, Corky, won’t allow that, and before long, Karen is off on a trip to reconnect with her relatives in the bayous of Louisiana. The journey that starts with a turbulent plane ride and talkative seat partner quickly evolves into something else. The Bayou holds secrets, voodoo, and a dark past. While Karen explores her family’s background, she stumbles on a history she forgot long ago. As she tries to unearth her roots, she might just get dragged down to where she can’t escape.