February 4, 2022 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 ...Continue Reading

January 28, 2022 It's been so cold for so long here, although it hasn't actually frozen, I bundled up and sat outside for a few minutes last night; it's something we do almost every night, and I miss it. Looks like it might be a little warmer over the weekend. Mardi Gras decorations are going up; some of the houses are going over the top again this year, as the House Float phenom was so popular last year in the absence of actual parades. My friends who ride floats or participate in walking parades are busy decora ...Continue Reading

January 21, 2022 Brrr!!! It was almost 65 when I woke up at 5:00 yesterday morning; by the time I started out to the grocery store at 9:30 it was 52, 50 by the time I got home, and it dropped into the 30s overnight. At least we didn't get the freeze some of our northern neighbors did... I'm not a fan of cold weather. Because it was so chilly, I went looking for cozy recipes for this week's menu selection. The one with beans and sausage is a favorite, and a quickie. The other two are a little more labor intensive, ...Continue Reading

January 14, 2022 King cake opportunity! If you live in my neighborhood, that is. It finally warmed up enough yesterday to get in our regular morning walk, and we discovered that the cute store, Wicks NOLA Candle Company, that's been building out on the corner of Magazine and St. Mary, has finally opened. We met the proprietress, and she invited us to her grand opening King Cake Extravaganza this Saturday afternoon from noon until 3:00. She's going to have various King Cakes on hand to sample, some champagne, and o ...Continue Reading

January 7, 2022 Happy New Year! The year started off with temps in the low 80s, but promptly dropped to true gumbo weather by Monday, and I spent the entire day making a pot of the best chicken and sausage gumbo I've ever made. I wrote it down as I went, and will include the recipe in the March/April print edition. It's an all-day affair, but the end result is well worth it.  Enjoy the recipes below, stay safe and healthy, and, as always, let me know what's on your mind.  Best regards, Susan ...Continue Reading

December 30, 2021 Kiss your significant other on the stroke of midnight, otherwise, risk a year of bickering. Start the year off with a full pantry and make sure you have lots of money in your wallet to ensure plenty and prosperity. Make sure the first person to cross your threshold in the new year is a tall, dark, handsome male, ideally bearing small gifts such as bread, salt, coal, and silver; make sure he leaves by a different door. Accomplish some small task related to your work — not too much, though, because over ...Continue Reading

December 10, 2021 Greetings! this is your last chance to order gift subscriptions to Louisiana Kitchen & Culture for all the food lovers on your list; it's an inexpensive gift that keeps giving all year. If you order now, we'll send out copies of the Holiday Food Guide this weekend, with a personalized gift card. It goes in a first class envelope and will arrive in plenty of time for planning Christmas, New Year, and other holiday feasts, one week until Christmas, y'all; I'm counting down the days. & ...Continue Reading

December 10, 2021 Tis the season! Now is the time to order gift subscriptions to Louisiana Kitchen & Culture to all the food lovers on your list; it's an inexpensive gift that keeps giving all year. If you order now, we'll send out copies of the Holiday Food Guide next week, with a personalized gift card. It goes in a first class envelope and will arrive in plenty of time for planning Christmas, New Year, and other holiday feasts. Two weeks until Christmas, y'all; I'm counting down the days.  &n ...Continue Reading

December 3, 2021 Thanksgiving was the best I've had in years—the food was great, and the company was even better. We had four people at the table who'd never had a traditional American Thanksgiving meal before. After dinner, my 6½ feet tall nephew tipped over on the couch and mumbled, "I'll never eat again." If all goes as planned, we'll head to the west coast to celebrate Christmas with Jim's family; I'm sure my great-nephews have shot up a foot in the two years since I've seen them! My sister-i ...Continue Reading

November 20, 2021 Thanksgiving is here!  If, like me, you don't have your menu quite set yet, I have compiled a list of suggestions here. My key ingredient to a tasty Thanksgiving dinner is a basic turkey stock. It simmers on the stove all night, and we wake up to a house already filled with the aromas of Thanksgiving. I use it to flavor everything from green beans to the turkey gravy, and of course to baste the turkey. If there's any left over, I use it as the base to simm ...Continue Reading