It's my birthday weekend and I hear there will be a few parades rolling down St. Charles to celebrate ;-) ! We're planning to walk down to the French Quarter tomorrow afternoon; we have friends walking with the Krewe of Cork and the weather's supposed to be nice.

For the recipes this week, I've chosen a shrimp scampi recipe that's easy, and topped with a crunchy Panko mixture you'll find lots of uses for. Next, a family favorite recipe that my mom and my grandmom made frequently: old-fashioned chicken and dumplings. And finally, something easy for a weeknight, a garlickly, saucy baked chicken dish that's perfect served over hot cooked rice.

Enjoy the recipes, stay safe and healthy, and, as always, let me know what's on your mind. 

Best regards,

Susan Ford, Publisher and Editorial Director

Louisiana Kitchen & Culture

Last week's recipes:

• Buttermilk Chicken Cobb Salad

• Veal Milanese

• Chicken Parmesan

Shrimp Scampi with Crunchy Breadcrumbs

I like to make a big batch of the breadcrumbs; I'll use leftovers on salads and trays of roasted vegetables for the remainder of the week.

Chicken and Dumplings

This old fashioned recipe is adapted from the one my mom and grandmom made; it was a family favorite and a staple at any gathering. I haven't made it in a long time; I need to get it in my rotation.

Garlicky Chicken and Rice

I used to get chicken parmesan at The Fly Trap restaurant near our office in San Francisco. It's still there, but alas, the chicken parm isn't on the menu currently; I'll make this as a treat soon.