April 6, 2017 | Louisiana Kitchen & Culture

April 6, 2017

I'm an avid reader, so this event is always a lot of fun for me. Each year the New Orleans Museum of Art hosts an "edible book" competition, in which amateur and professional pastry chefs alike create and decorate fantastical cakes themed after their favorite books. I've been asked once again to judge -- it's based on looks, creativity, "punniness" etc. so stop by and be prepared to laugh if you enjoy a good book. In years past we've had Curious George, The Cat in the Hat, the sorting hat from Hogwarts, and Charlotte's Web, to name a few.

I love hearing stories from readers about what they've cooked from the magazine. Sandy from Albuquerque wrote to say she'd made jambalaya, and crab cakes from recent issues that had "brought the house down." Lyn from New Jersey made the cover etouffee recipe in the current issue, substituting shrimp for the crawfish. Al in Baton Rouge is learning to cook; he's working on roux, and red beans and rice. What about you? What are some things you've made based on recipes from the magazine? Drop me an email and let me know.

The weather's supposed to be great on Saturday, and there are plenty of outdoor festivals to choose from. Choose one -- or three! -- and have some fun. Enjoy this week's recipes, share them with family and friends, and, as always, let me know what's on your mind.

Best-

Susan Ford

Susan Ford, Publisher

Louisiana Kitchen & Culture

Miss last edition's recipes?

• Most viewed last week: Smothered Cajun 7 Steak

• Fried Crawfish Tails

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	Oysters en Brochette The trick to fully-cooked, crisp bacon, but perfectly cooked oysters (or shrimp, for that matter) is to pre-cook the bacon until it's almost done but still plyable. Wrap the oysters, skewer, and finish off in a hot oven until the bacon is crisp and the oysters plump and begin to curl. Click to forward this email and recipes.

	Lemon Rosemary Beans This is in frequent rotation at my house; we particularly like it as a side dish to grilled beef, lamb, pork, or chicken. If, like me, you cook beans in batches until al dente, portion out into meal sizes and freeze, it comes together in a flash, too. Of course, you can use top-quality canned beans, but home made from scratch are better! Plus, you control the sodium content and don't add preservative. Click to forward email and recipes.

	Seafood Louis This recipe is said to have been developed for the restaurants at the Sheraton Palace in San Francisco. I worked just a couple of blocks from the Palace for years; I had the salad often, but I have to admit the cheeseburger at the Pied Piper was a guilty favorite. Click to forward email and recipes.