I was treated to dinner earlier this week at Sofia (my first visit, will definitely go back!) by the people who threw the surprise birthday party I cooked for earlier this week. The food was delicious, but the CAKE! The birthday girl, my newfound friend Irene Sage, is not only a talented musician, but a magical cake baker. She made me a caramelized apple upside down cake that was, truly, one of the best cakes I've ever had, and my mom was a great baker. She says she has a method, and a basic batter she works with; I'm hoping she'll give me some tips and recipes I can share here later this spring.

For the recipes this week, I turned to my friend Tenney Flynn's cookbook for the easy, delicious parmesan-crusted flounder; for those of you avoiding carbs, this is a great option for "breading" fish with something besides breadcrumbs. Next up, a deceptively simple seafood salad that's substantial enough for an entrée that includes a tip for taming the bite of sliced raw onion. And finally, a quirky take on black-eyed pea caviar that's a great side dish for your spring and summer fish fries and seafood boils.

Enjoy the recipes, stay 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

Last week's recipes:

• Blackened Shrimp Alfredo

• Linguini with Shrimp and Clams

• Crawfish-Stuffed Artichokes

Parmesan-Crusted Flounder

From my friend Tenney Flynn's excellent cookbook "The Deep End of Flavor", this recipe is easy, delicious, perfect for a Lenten Friday, and, because it's "breaded" in parmesan instead of breadcrumbs, hits the mark for those of you watching your carb intake. Substitute any thin fillets of flakey white fish if you don't have access to flounder.

Crab and Shrimp Salad with Avocado

If you don't know the trick of marinating sliced onion in an acid, this recipe tells you how to do it. It mellows it right out, allowing the flavors of the delectable crab and shrimp to shine through. This will make an entrée salad for four, or a starter salad for 6. Serve immediately after dressing the greens.

Mex-American Black-Eyed Pea Salad

This is from the quirky cookbook Turnip Greens and Tortillas. It's a riff on the ubiquitous black-eyed pea salad known as (insert state here) Caviar, and is a great side dish to serve with fried seafood or pulled pork. Put it out in place of coleslaw.