I was missing in action last week—it was my birthday and I gave myself some time off! Jim took me out for an excellent birthday dinner at Gianna, an excellent Italian restaurant in the Central Business District. It was a welcome break from the kitchen for me.

For this week's recipes, I selected a classic Creole Italian dish, Creole Stuffed Eggplant. As written, it's baked in a casserole dish, but for a fancier presentation, microwave split eggplants a bit to soften them, scoop out the flesh, and bake the casserole in the shells. Next, a shrimp and crawfish fettuccini from the cookbook Cooking up a Storm, put together by Marcelle Bienvenue and Judy Walker after Katrina. The recipes are reader favorites from the Times-Picayune archives. And finally, a favorite of mine, Barbecue Shrimp. I usually make mine on top of the stove because I'm cooking for 2, but this one's prepared in the oven.

Enjoy this week's 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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Creole Stuffed Eggplant

This is from the locals-favorite Creole Italian restaurant, Mandina's, on Canal Street in Mid-City.

Shrimp and Crawfish Fettuccini

According to the crawfish report I heard early this week, crawfish season is off to a good start. They said that the mudbugs are still on the small size, but that locals can expect to pay $6-8 a pound right now for boiled crawfish. If you're buying frozen, just make sure you get the ones harvested in Louisiana. The imports taste foul.

New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp

Barbecue Shrimp have nothing to do with traditional barbecue. They're loaded with lemon, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce-- have plenty of hot buttered French bread on hand for sopping up the sauce.