With family in town over the weekend, we cooked a lot, but finished out the visit with a trip out to dinner. It was dry Monday night and really cooled off after the sun went down, so we sat outside on the upstairs balcony at Gris Gris. The food was excellent. Swordfish, shrimp and grits, chicken maque choux, and a double cut porkchop for our entrées, and a selection of appetizers. The food was all delicious, the service was flawless; highly recommend if you're looking for a neighborhood restaurant in New Orleans!

For the recipes this week: First up,  a smoked chicken chowder. If you don't have a smoker, you can buy smoked chicken in many delis, or go with rotisserie chicken and opt for a smoked cheese, like smoked gouda, in place of the Cheddar. Next, sweet shrimp with briny feta cheese; serve this one over hot cooked rice or pasta to soak up all the sauce. And finally, a slow-cooked pork ragu recipe that makes enough for 2 pounds of pasta-- freeze half the sauce and dinner will be ready in a jiffy on a busy weeknight later this year. 

Enjoy the recipes, stay safe, cool, 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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Smoked Chicken Chowder

In this comforting chowder, heavy cream, flour, and potatoes provide rich, velvety texture, while the smoky flavor of chipotle chile in adobo sauce adds heat. The recipe calls for about a pound  of smoked chicken, which is available at some butcher shops and specialty food stores, but you can also use (unsmoked) chicken breasts.

Shrimp with Feta Cheese

This classic Greek dish pairs plump, sweet shrimp with briny feta cheese. We added chopped Kalamata olives for added savoriness, as well as ground fennel for a hint of anise. We tried cherry and grape tomatoes, but found their skins to be tough and unpleasant in the finished sauce. Chopped Peppadew peppers are an unconventional ingredient, but their mild, sweet heat makes them a welcome addition. Serve with crusty bread to sop up the sauce.

Pork Ragu

A meaty, long-cooked ragu can be made with pork instead of beef. It just requires the right cut, and we found that baby back ribs fit the bill, providing tender meat and lots of flavor and body from the bones. Browning the ribs first creates flavorful fond, and a base of onion, carrots, and fennel lends traditional Italian flavor. Braising the meat in the oven in broth, tomatoes, and wine renders it fork-tender, and cooking a whole head of garlic along with the meat requires less work than chopping a dozen cloves. We return the shredded meat to the savory cooking liquid along with the sweet, mellow garlic before tossing it all with pasta and topping it with Parmesan cheese. This recipe makes enough sauce to coat 2 pounds of pasta.