Yesterday was my birthday and we had a feast last night. New York strip garnished with blue cheese, a baked potato, broccollini sautéd in garlic and onion, and King cake. And champagne.

As I always do on my birthday, I talk about one of my greatest accomplishments: I quit a nasty smoking habit on my birthday, 20 years ago. It wasn't easy, but I was determined, and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. So, I'm here to tell you, it can be done, and I'm happy to talk to anyone who has questions about how they might go about doing the same thing for themselves.

This week's recipes are easy. The fish and the crawfish dishes are quickies, the chili is going to be a little more involved, but it cooks all afternoon in the crockpot, so your house will smell delicious! Enjoy the 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. Send Susan a birthday gift and Subscribe or Renew Today!

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Crawfish Stew-Fay

From Chef Donald Link, this is an easy, fast, traditional Cajun étouffée.  Including prep time, it comes together in about half an hour, so get your rice going before you start the crawfish.

Pan-Fried Grouper

This is another simple recipe, a fool-proof method for pan-frying fish. The recipe calls for grouper, but the technique will work for any cut of fish, as long as it's no more than about an inch thick.

Emeril's Slow-Cooker Chili

This is from Emeril, and it cooks low and slow  for 6 hours in the slow-cooker, a great choice for the upcoming cold weekend. Your house will smell great all day. He recommends cutting up a whole chuck roast; it'll shred to pieces when it's done.