Happy New Year! I hope you and your family had a peaceful, enjoyable holiday season. My sister flew down, and we spent Christmas Eve with Jim's family; amazing prime rib. Christmas Day, I had everyone over and we all made pizzas. The kids came in their pajamas; it was a fun day. This week, it's chilly here at the beach, so I made a big pot of beef stew. I'll have to make it again and measure ingredients as I go; I've been making it for so long it's basically muscle memory for me.

For the recipes this week, I'm starting with a weeknight staple, a recipe I make numerous times a year: white beans with Italian sausage. We like it so much I included it in my cookbook. Next, one of my all-time favorites: Ralph Brennan's New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp. It is NOT for a diet, but is well worth the calories on occasion. And finally, I'm thinking ahead to artichoke season, here in the middle of prime oyster season, and selected Emeril's artichoke and oyster soup. I included a few shortcuts in the description below.

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

P.S. You can easily share this newsletter with family and friends, just use the link at the bottom of the page.

P.P.S. The cookbook is getting rave reviews, check out the table of contents on the order form. Makes a perfect gift!

Previous recipes:

 • Grillades • Creamy Feta Orzo • Garlic Butter Shrimp

Back in Stock!

And ready to ship; order by Dec 15 for Christmas delivery. It's a great gift for anyone on your list who likes to cook, plus grab one for yourself while you're at it. I've included three of my favorite recipes from the book below for you to try.

To order, call 504.208.9959 or CLICK HERE to order online.

140+ recipes, all but a handful with lush photography, all tried and tested-- and tasted!

White Beans with Italian Sausage

This is a dish that delivers big bold flavor with nominal effort. If you have some roasted garlic infused olive oil on hand, by all means use it. The flavors are lemon, rosemary, and Italian sausage, offset by the creamy beans and either roasted red peppers or roasted tomatoes. I use either. Good bread is a must for dunking.

Ralph Brennan's Barbecue Shrimp

If I had to produce a top ten favorite recipes, this one would be on it, probably in the top five. It's in the excellent New Orleans Seafood Cookbook by Ralph Brennan; I've not made it in a long time and am overdue. This one also requires good bread for sopping up the sauce.

Emeril's Oyster and Artichoke Soup

Save yourself some time and buy frozen artichoke hearts instead of cooking your own, and pull out the food processor for the prep work. The rest is pretty straightforward, and it's delicious! Good oysters are key.