RHYTHM & ROUX
The Simmer & Swing of New Orleans
“Some of the very best musicians in the world were playing. Some of the very best food I've ever eaten in my life. I don't know that there's a better place on earth.”
— Dave Matthews
The Book
Rhythm & Roux is more than just a cookbook — it’s a celebration of New Orleans' spirit, where cuisine and music blend to create moments of pure joy.
The book's 100 recipes are interspersed with photos and stories from some of the jazz world's most legendary musicians, including Branford Marsalis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and John Boutté. Rhythm & Roux is a culinary and musical journey. Cocktails and starters are the improvisational moments, soups and salads are the side notes, entrées are the main acts, and desserts are the sweet finale. In Rhythm & Roux, Brian and Peter invite you to eat and dance to the stories and flavors of the Crescent City.
The Authors
“New Orleans has shaped us. It has challenged and embraced us. And in return, we offer our crafts as thanks. Our tribute to this place reflects a relationship that is deeply personal, often spiritual, and always passionate.” — Brian Landry
“I’ve always felt that music and food are part of the same language—two expressions of the same instinct to nourish, to connect, to transform.” — Peter Harris
In a love letter to the city, native New Orleanians Brian Landry and Peter Harris pay homage in Rhythm & Roux to the food and music that raised them. Brian, a celebrated chef, and Peter, a distinguished musician, are old friends, sitting at the intersection of New Orleans food and music culture. With Rhythm & Roux, they come together to show how the city’s food and music have evolved together.
Listen
You’ve said that listening—not playing—is the most important musical skill. When did you come to that realization?
It came slowly, and mostly through experience. You can practice all day—scales, arpeggios, transcriptions—but none of that guarantees the music will translate. I’ve been on gigs where the band looked incredible on paper, but something wasn’t landing. And usually, when you trace it back, it’s because someone stopped listening. Maybe something was distracting one of us, or we were caught up in our own ego, or maybe self-doubt crept in. Either way, the conversation broke down. The nights that stay with me—the ones people still talk about years later—are when everyone is listening so deeply that the music feels bigger than the individuals playing it. — Peter Harris
RHYTHM & ROUX
Bring the simmer and swing home.