On Wednesday I had the pleasure of serving as a judge for the Louisiana seafood cook-off during NOLA Navy Week. We paired eithg local chefs with eight chefs from the various ships that were in town and gave them free reign to create something tasty in the 30 minutes allotted to them. Every single dish was outstanding, and the final vote talley was very close. Ryan Hacker, the executive chef at Brennan's, and Magalie Catron, off the USS Farragut, took first place with a marinated tuna dish with oyster "tonnato". The winning recipe will be in the next issue of the magazine. Congratulations to both!

This week's recipes are easy. Asparagus is SO tender and delicious right now, you have to try Jaques Pepin's recipe for asparagus and shallots. I've been making it every spring for decades. I don't indulge in a hamburger very often, but when I do, I love to add crisp bacon to it; the eggplant caponata is one of my husband's favorites. Enjoy the recipes, stay safe and healthy, and, as always, let me know what's on your mind. 

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Susan Ford, Publisher and Editorial Director
Louisiana Kitchen & Culture

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Asparagus with Butter and Shallots

The asparagus is at the peak of its season right now and I'm eating it several times a week. This simple preparation is absolutely delicious; asparagus and shallots were made to go together.

Bacon Chuck Cheeseburger

I dearly love a bacon cheeseburger every once in a while, but always struggle with keeping the thing together unless the cheese is melted between the burger and the layer of bacon, cementing them together. This solution neatly sidesteps that problem by incorporating the bacon into the burger itself. Voilá!

Sicilian Caponata

I have to confess that I'm not a big fan of caponata, but every time I make it, my husbands raves, as do some of my friends who love it as much as he does. If you're a fan, give this one a try.