Domain: tiger-web1.srvr.media3.us Secretly selling off my Chef Mom’s cookbook to surprise her with the money. | Food and Drink
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Secretly selling off my Chef Mom’s cookbook to surprise her with the money.

Posted on 1/18/26 at 8:45 pm
Posted by cyborgsaint
Member since Jul 2015
243 posts
Posted on 1/18/26 at 8:45 pm
Hey Gang, I’m Ben owner and operator of Ben’s Burgers in Metairie Louisiana. My mom Chiqui is a life long chef and caterer. She gathered recipes from family, friends, local New Orleans Restaurants, and fellow chefs for years. She created a cookbook that’s been in my family since before i was born. I have a little over 2,000 of those cookbooks printed in stock and my plan is to secretly sell them all for her and present her with the money as a kind of retirement. I thought it would be cool to create a TikTok page to show the world her recipes, learn to cook them myself, and ultimately create an avenue to sell her book.

If you’d like to follow along the TikTok page is @cookeryneworleansstyle i will try and post recipe videos weekly.

The book is available in the TikTok shop if you’d like to support her.

If anything else sharing the video or tiktok page would be a huge help.

TD is a magical place and hopefully a little bit of that magic can work for a sweet lady who could use some support.

The book is called Cookery N’Orleans Style and is available in Shopify Here

Thanks!

Here’s the first recipe video i made, more to come.

Breaded Veal and Spaghetti
Posted by BigPerm30
Member since Aug 2011
31324 posts
Posted on 1/18/26 at 8:59 pm to
We’ve had it for about twenty or more years. Solid recipes. Good luck with it.
Posted by cyborgsaint
Member since Jul 2015
243 posts
Posted on 1/18/26 at 9:13 pm to
That’s awesome to hear. Thanks a lot.

Fun fact. My dad started cafe beignet in the early 90’s (no longer affiliated with CB) and the painting on the back of the book has my dad , myself, my brother, my sister at one table. My grandmother, my mom, my grandfather at another table.
Posted by Bill Parker?
Member since Jan 2013
5269 posts
Posted on 1/18/26 at 11:08 pm to
Great idea. I'll check out it and support.

Hope you get to order a second printing and give your mom a well deserved surprise.

And before you get the no colors treatment, this cookbook idea for your mom as a retirement surprise is what the food and drink board is all about. Best of luck.
Posted by lsuwhodat78
Member since Sep 2014
269 posts
Posted on 1/19/26 at 12:14 am to
I inherited this book from my mom. Never knew the connection.
Will break it out soon.

Side note, the world needs more of them rap videos, brah!
This post was edited on 1/19/26 at 12:15 am
Posted by CrawfishElvis
Member since Apr 2021
1128 posts
Posted on 1/19/26 at 5:50 am to
You should put your videos on all the platforms like YouTube, Facebook, etc. I don’t have a tik tok so literally can’t watch a video without an account.
The more eyes the better!
Posted by OYB
LAPLACE
Member since Dec 2018
457 posts
Posted on 1/19/26 at 8:44 am to
Offer it for sale at Ben's for us local baws
Posted by LSUJML
Central
Member since May 2008
52006 posts
Posted on 1/19/26 at 8:50 am to
I ordered this years ago
She sent along some extra recipes & a nice note with it
She seems like a really sweet lady!
This post was edited on 1/19/26 at 8:50 am
Posted by cyborgsaint
Member since Jul 2015
243 posts
Posted on 1/19/26 at 9:18 am to
I thought about that. Will add it to the POS today. I wasn’t sure if there would be any interest but it will be available starting today! Thanks
Posted by cyborgsaint
Member since Jul 2015
243 posts
Posted on 1/19/26 at 9:20 am to
That’s awesome. Yeah she usually signs each book and writes a little note inside all the covers. Part of me wants to tell her about it but i think the surprise will be worth it no matter how long it takes.

Posted by cyborgsaint
Member since Jul 2015
243 posts
Posted on 1/19/26 at 9:21 am to
It’s on Facebook as well. I’ll start adding it to other platforms but my mom is a Facebook fiend and i don’t want her knowing what I’m doing.

I blocked her from my posts that talk about it so we will see how long that lasts. Hopefully nobody spills the beans to her.
Posted by Stadium Rat
Metairie
Member since Jul 2004
10114 posts
Posted on 1/19/26 at 9:42 am to
I have that cookbook. Had it for years.

Good Luck!
Posted by cyborgsaint
Member since Jul 2015
243 posts
Posted on 1/19/26 at 10:43 am to
BBQ SHRIMP BY CHIQUI

This is my mom cooking BBQ Shrimp years ago. I’m going to recreate this recipe into a video sometime this week. We had a small steakhouse in Metairie called The Rock on west Napoleon years ago and this was by far the biggest hit on the menu. People went crazy for these shrimp. They are so good.

This post was edited on 1/19/26 at 10:45 am
Posted by BigPerm30
Member since Aug 2011
31324 posts
Posted on 1/19/26 at 11:31 am to
I can vouch for the BBQ shrimp recipe. Delicious and super easy to make.
Posted by cuyahoga tiger
NE Ohio via Tangipahoa
Member since Nov 2011
6125 posts
Posted on 1/19/26 at 11:33 am to
quote:

I wasn’t sure if there would be any interest but it will be available starting today! Thanks


I will be in town next month and will stop by for a book and a couple #2's, sauce and onions please.
Posted by CAD703X
Liberty Island
Member since Jul 2008
92210 posts
Posted on 1/19/26 at 3:24 pm to
done!

your fellow baw in nashville
Posted by cyborgsaint
Member since Jul 2015
243 posts
Posted on 1/19/26 at 3:29 pm to
You da man. I’m figuring out the shipping labels right now. Should start dropping orders in the mail in the morning. 18 books sold since the first one at 7pm last night so I’m trying to figure everything out asap.

Thanks again!
Posted by TTU97NI
Celina, TX
Member since Mar 2017
1296 posts
Posted on 1/20/26 at 9:23 am to
just saw this and I'll have 1 please. order in!
Posted by BlueRabbit
Member since Apr 2025
154 posts
Posted on 1/20/26 at 9:30 am to
quote:

That’s awesome. Yeah she usually signs each book and writes a little note inside all the covers. Part of me wants to tell her about it but i think the surprise will be worth it no matter how long it takes.


Once you sell them and let her know, tell her part of the deal is an occasional book signing at your restaurant. Gives people a chance to actually meet her and I’m guessing she would probably enjoy that. Plus brings traffic to you. It’s a win for everyone.
Posted by TigerLife63
Baton Rouge
Member since Aug 2019
317 posts
Posted on 1/20/26 at 10:16 am to
Just purchased one. Good idea for your mom and good luck.
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