December 17, 2015 | Louisiana Kitchen & Culture

December 17, 2015

Last chance! Monday is the last day we'll be taking orders for holiday gifts; the office will be closed starting on the 22nd, re-opening on Monday December 28.

For fastest service, give us a call: 504-208-9959. Anyone on your list who enjoys cooking will appreciate the magazine; we offer a range of choices, from $10 for a trial subscription, $25 for a year, all the way up to $100 for every issue published from launch date through the end of 2016.

As I mentioned last week, I judged the Gumbo/Bread Pudding/Potato Salad competition at the Festival of the Bonfires in St. James Parish. Unique to that parish is Red Bean Gumbo, which I'd never heard of until, earlier this year, we started researching for a story on the Christmas Eve bonfires that are built along the banks of the Mississippi river. If you have a copy of the holiday edition of LK&C there's a recipe for it; it's astonishingly good. There were more than 20 entries in the Red Bean category at the festival, so now I've tasted the best of the best and will definitely add it to my winter rotation. Red Bean Gumbo. Who knew?

You'll get an abbreviated version of the newsletter next week; I'm leaving Tuesday for Los Angeles, where it's supposed to be significantly colder than it is here in New Orleans. Maybe I'll actually get to wear that beautiful red sweater I bought a month ago for this holiday season...

Enjoy this week's recipes, share them with family and friends, and, as always, let me know what's on your mind. Also, keep in mind that food banks struggle this time of year; consider making a donation if at all possible.

Jambalaya! How would you like to win an ample selection of Louisiana crab meat and shrimp for an authentic Louisiana Jambalaya, plus a King Cake? And a Hurricane Mix, plus Mardi Gras beads, all delivered in time for a Mardi Gras party.

Click here to enter - it's free! We're asking you to list some of your favorite Mardi Gras party food.

Susan Ford

Susan Ford, Publisher

Louisiana Kitchen & Culture

Order TODAY to reserve your Holiday Issue:

(68 exclusive recipes inside)

Subscribe Today.

The bundle includes the first 22 issues of the magazine - every issue we've published - plus a subscription for all of 2016.

Click here to order your Bundle Plus, or call 504-208-9959.


	Oyster Soup This recipe appeared in the very first issue of Louisiana Kitchen & Culture; it's an old recipe, and like many old recipes, it's very simple. The delicate flavor of the oysters shines through; a great choice for a holiday dinner party. Click to forward this email and recipes.

	Italian Butterball Cookies This recipe is from my Italian mother-in-law; they show up in many cultures, and are welcome over the holidays. As with beignets, be prepared for a shower of confectioners' sugar while eating them. Click to forward email and recipes.

	Spinach & Artichoke Dip I'm a sucker for any cookbook with "Comfort Food" in the title,so there was no question of passing up the new Comfort Food by Rick Rodgers for Williams-Sonoma at CostCo the other day. This recipe caught my eye immediately, as a great idea for holiday parties. Click to forward email and recipes.