SO excited to report I dined out for the first time in over a year earlier this week. I joined a great group of women in the lovely private dining room at the stellar restaurant Gris Gris here in New Orleans to help a friend celebrate a big personal milestone. I had a wonderful meal I didn't have to think about, other than to decide what I wanted for my entrée (the daily Gulf Fish, which happened to be swordfish, one of my favorites). We'll do more of that over the coming weeks, and I'm really ready to have friends over for dinner at home, too. I've been dreaming of menu ideas for a few weeks.

We're slowly starting to see a few festivals and events schedule dates for later this spring and early summer, and we'll wake our calendar of events up as things begin to ramp up. If you're like me, you're beyond ready for life to return to a semblance of normal.

For this week's recipes, I've got two feasts to choose from for Easter-- a blue cheese stuffed tenderloin and a slow braised leg of lamb that we published at Easter-time several years ago-- plus, should any of you have given up fried foods for Lent, a fried shrimp and zucchini extravangaza. Enjoy the recipes below, 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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In the Mail:

Beef Tenderloin with Blue Cheese Stuffing

This is feast food incarnate. The recipe calls for roasting over a pan of barley--beef and barley are a classic pairine--but here in Louisiana we'd probably substitute rice. Go with what sounds right for you; brown rice will take about the same amount of time as the barley, white rice won't take as long.

Braised Leg of Lamb

I don't often include recipes from the print magazine on our website or newsletter; they're reserved for paid subscribers. But I decided to make an exception with this one; lots of people like braised lamb for Easter dinner, and this recipe is a winner. It first appeared in the April 2017 issue, and numerous readers wrote to gell me how much they enjoyed it.

Shrimp and Zucchini Pirogue

This is a "three-fer" recipe; method for Shrimp Etouffee, Fried Shrimp, and Fried Zucchini & Fries. Assembled, it's a spectacular meal. It's from George Graham's excellent new cookbook, Fresh from Louisiana: The Soul of Cajun and Creole Home Cooking.