We're far from settled in our new home in Long Beach; the movers arrived a week ago and I promptly came down with a nasty summer cold, so I still have boxes to unpack and organizing to do. I have time.

Imagine my excitement when I found frozen Louisiana crawfish tails from Breaux Bridge in a specialty meat market just down the street! And they're not that much more expensive than what I was accustomed to paying in New Orleans. I will be introducing my West Coast family to the mud bugs.

For the recipes this week, I'm looking way back. First up, a baked stuffed flounder reminiscent of the version I grew up eating along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Next, Coconut Beer Shrimp from the Commander's Palace cookbook published back in 1984. And finally, an old fashioned meat pie recipe; the recipe calls for beef and pork, but I just might substitute in some of those crawfish tails. And I'll use lard instead of shortening in the dough.

Enjoy these 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

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Previous week's recipes:

 • Stuffed Crab Fingers • Stuffed Tomatoes • Jerk Chicken

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Baked Stuffed Flounder

Baked stuffed flounder has always been a favorite of mine; it brings to mind the old classic seafood joints that were ubiquitous in beach towns all along the Gulf Coast when I was growing up. If you don't have access to whole flounder, any mild white fish will substitute; if the fillets are not thick enough to cut pockets in for the stuffing, spread the stuffing over the fish and roll it up. Secure with kitchen twine or toothpicks. Cooking time may vary.

Coconut Beer Shrimp

From the Commander's Palace New Orleans Cookbook (published in 1984), this dish was created for  one of the restaurant's regular customers, whose favorite dish it was. You'll find other uses for the dipping sauce, and there's also a link for creating your own Creole seafood seasoning mix.

Mama's Cajun Meat Pies

From Cook and Tell: Unique Cajun Recipes and Stories, this is a classic old Cajun dish. If you don't want to fry them all at once, individual pies can be frozen, but unless you're cooking for one you'll be amazed at how many get devoured while the next batch is frying.