Here we are, starting the final quarter of 2021. Here in New Orleans, the Hallowe'en decorations are starting to go up, and we got the welcome news earlier this week that the beloved Krewe of Boo 2021 has been given the go-ahead to roll on October 23, the first parade in over 18 months. Signs that normalcy may be around the corner, I hope.

For the recipes this week, I've linked my favorite fried eggplant recipe; we had some Saturday night with a plate of spaghetti and marinara sauce. The deviled crab recipe is an old-fashioned dish that used to be on seafood menus all along the gulf coast, and the shrimp shooters are delicious any time of the year. Serve as suggested as an apetizer, or just put them on a platter and set out some spicy cocktail sauce.

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:

Crisp Fried Eggplant

I love this recipe. It's great as a straight-up side dish, but Saturday I served it with spaghetti and a good marinara sauce. I also like to pile each slice up with some cold shrimp or crab remoulade; or to layer it in a sandwich or po'boy; I usually let the slices sit, salted and weighted, for at least an hour, getting a lot of the moisture out of them; the eggplant is tender and creamy, an excellent contrast to the super-crisp outside.

Deviled Crab

This is a dish that seems to have fallen out of favor on restaurant menus in recent years, but it's a favorite of mine. If you don't have access to cleaned crab shells, by all means bake this in individual ramekins, or even a casserole dish. You may have to vary cooking times a bit.

Shrimp Shooters

If you love boiled shrimp as much as I do, this is a preparation you have to try. I always up the hot sauce a bit, and I usually serve them with a spicy cocktail sauce also, and, now that they're on my mind, I think this is what's for dinner one night this weekend.