Wednesday night, André Bohren, a really talented classical pianist, had his piano on the back of a truck parked at Coliseum Park in our neighborhood. Jim and I walked over to the beautiful park with a few friends, sat down under the old oak trees, and listened to him play. It was a lovely 90 minutes.

For the recipes this week, I picked an easy shrimp and orzo dish from a cookbook I picked up recently; the marinated feta is an excellent addition, and I'll be using it in salads and sprinkled over sliced cucumbers and tomatoes for the rest of the summer. Next, a classic meat loaf; serve it up with lush mac & cheese, or garlicky mashed potatoes for a real comfort food meal. And finally, a classic  smothered chicken and lima beans dish from Chef John Folse.

Enjoy the recipes, stay cool, safe, and healthy, and, as always, let me know what's on your mind. 

Best regards,

Susan Ford, Publisher and Editorial Director

Louisiana Kitchen & Culture

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Orzo with Shrimp, Tomato, and Marinated Feta

This is from Yotam Ottplonghi's cookbook Simple, and it is indeed a simple but oh so tasty recipe. Once you make the maritated feta you'll find other uses for it, plus it keeps in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Classic Meat Loaf

I love meat loaf, but I rarely make it at home. This one reminds me of one I used to get at a restaurant called The Red Tractor that was on College Avenue near the BART station near the Oakland/Berkeley border. I always got it with a side of mac & cheese and collard greens. Brought me right back home.

Smothered Chicken with Butter Beans

This recipe is by Chef John Folse; I found it in the Lodge Cast Iron Cook Book. It's excellent! And these days, if you don't have access to fresh butter beans, the flash freezing technique most food companies use yield very good results using frozen butterbeans.