Thanksgiving was the best I've had in years—the food was great, and the company was even better. We had four people at the table who'd never had a traditional American Thanksgiving meal before. After dinner, my 6½ feet tall nephew tipped over on the couch and mumbled, "I'll never eat again."

If all goes as planned, we'll head to the west coast to celebrate Christmas with Jim's family; I'm sure my great-nephews have shot up a foot in the two years since I've seen them! My sister-in-law has been hosting a party for her husband's family for 40 years or so, and we started planning the menu earlier this week.  

The 2021 Holiday Food Guide is out, and it's time to start thinking about your holiday gift list. Louisiana Kitchen & Culture makes a great, inexpensive gift for anyone on your list who enjoys good food; click here for gift subscriptions. 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:

Spicy Tropical Shrimp Salad

From the excellent cookbook Seriously Good Salads, as written, this is an entrée salad, but I think it would make a very good starter or finishing salad for 8 for a rich holiday meal. You can find prepped fruit in well-stocked grocery store-- a bit more expensive, but a real timesaver on a busy night.

Eddie Hernandez' Shrimp and Grits

From the cookbook Turnip Greens and Tacos, this is a spicy take on a dish you'll find on menus all over south Louisiana. The grits are cooked in rich cream, with the surprising addition of some sugar--an interesting contrast to the spicy sauce.

Cream of Turkey Soup

If you stashed some leftover turkey in the freezer and are looking for ways to use it prior to the next big feast, here's a great, easy option for a chilly weeknight meal. No canned cream-of-something soup here, you make your own cream base, so you control the sodium content. Winner all around.