The 4th of July vibe (here in Long Beach) was indeed reminiscent of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. There was a continuous parade of people going past our house to the beach, everyone happy and in a great mood. The greeting "Happy 4th!" was just as prevalent over the weekend as "Happy Mardi Gras!" is in the days leading up to Mardi Gras. Jim's birthday was this week and his family came down Sunday to help celebrate; we had brunch outdoors overlooking the ocean at Claire's then gathered at our house for cake and ice cream. Jim's fave, yellow cake with chocolate buttercream frosting.

For the recipes this week, I'm starting out with a summer pasta salad with ripe tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, Italian sausage, etc. It's delicious. Next, beat the heat with a sweet and hot tuna salad sandwich; fantastic on a hot summer day. And finally, my recipe for candied jalapeño peppers, one I make every summer. I use them on any dish I think can use a little sweet heat, and use the leftover glaze to brush on protein for the grill; excellent on grilled shrimp. 

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:

 • Herb and Cheese Tortellini • Old Fashioned Deviled Crabs • Curried Shrimp Salad

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Summer Pasta Salad with Italian Sausage

This salad is equally good served hot or at room temperature. Arugula has some body and so will stand up over time, making this a good choice to take to a pot luck.

Sweet Heat Tuna Salad

On days when it's just too hot to cook, I start to think of sandwiches. I make my own candied jalapeño peppers (below) and add them to lots of sandwiches; I think they're particularly good with this tuna salad.

Candied Jalapeño Peppers

Be forewarned that this will create some fumes in the kitchen while you're cooking the peppers! If you want, you can seal half the batch in sterilized jars; opened, they'll keep for weeks in the refrigerator.