Time change! Don't forget to set your clocks back this weekend; I've been trying without much success to stay up a bit later this past week in anticipation of the change. The extra hour will be welcome in the morning, but adjusting to the dark evenings takes me some time.

For the recipes this week, I selected a classic beef stew recipe; comfort food for the shorter, darker days. I want hot buttermilk biscuits with my beef stew, something I've not made in a while. Next up, Mulate's decadent crabmeat gratin; crabmeat's expensive right now, but splurge and make this anyway. And finally, a baked potato stuffed shrimp or crawfish; it's an easy recipe, and you might want to think about adapting it for smaller potatoes that could be set out as hors d'oeuvres on a holiday buffet table.

Enjoy this week's 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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Classic American Beef Stew

This is make-ahead recipe; it calls for cooking the beef for several hours one day, then refrigerating overnight or up to 3 days. The vegetables that go in the stew get steamed and added when it's time to serve, rather than braising along with the meat-- and overcooking. It suggests braising twice the amount of meat called for and freezing half to use down the road for a quick, delicious dinner.

Mulate's Crabmeat Gratin

This decadent gratin has half & half, lots of Cheddar, and two egg yolks. Serve it with toasted baguette slices for dipping; I'm tempted to stir in some chopped artichoke hearts, too.

Seafood-Stuffed Baked Potatoes

This is a recipe from the Cajun country of Bayou Lafourche. Baked potatoes (well scrubbed, bake at 350F for 1 hour, perfect) are scooped out and the flesh combined with sauteed trinity, shrimp or crawfish, sour cream, cheese, etc. Stuff the mixture back into the potato jackets, sprinkle with Parmesan, and bake for 25 minutes. Heaven!