I haven't been cooking much this week. Thinking of making pizza this weekend, but I really haven't been motivated. I did make a good paella Wednesday night with pork, smoked paprika, and cumin; a recipe I've made off and on for years, but not for years. It was really good. We're on the cusp of weather changing, I'm ready to start making soups and stews but it's still a little warm for that.

The recipes I selected for this week reflect that state of mind! I hope it's cooler where you're at. First up, a shrimp and crawfish fettuccine from Cooking up a Storm, the GREAT cookbook Judy Walker and Marcelle Bienvenue, then food editors for the Times Picayune in New Orleans, wrote after Hurricane Katrina. They gathered up and published recipes requested by for readers who'd lost EVERYTHING in the floods. It was nominated for a James Beard award and, in my opinion, should have won. Next, a comforting chicken fricassee from one of the best cooks I know; and finally, a white bean and tasso soup that I love. I have to get serious about finding a local source for smoked meats or get my friends ready to start shipping stuff to me.

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 week's recipes:

 • Classic Meatloaf • Orzo with Shrimp • Smothered Chicken with Butterbeans

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Shrimp and Crawfish Fettuccine

This recipe comes from Cooking up a Storm, the cookbook that Marcelle Bienvenu and Judy Walker put together from the recipe archives of the Times Picayune, after receiving so many requests from subscribers who'd lost all their recipes in the floods after Katrina. Published in 2015, the book is a collection of reader favorites and classics; check it out, particularly if you're interested in old recipes.

Chicken Fricassee

From one of the best Cajun cooks I know, Debbie Guidry Gautier over in Breaux Bridge, this is comfort food at its finest. The chicken will be fork tender, and the dumplings luscious.

Chicken Fricassee

This is another old Cajun recipe; if you can't get your hands on tasso, look for smoked pork chops then go read this recipe for tasso from Chef John Folse. It'll give you an idea of the flavor profile tasso would bring to the dish.