Welcome to Louisiana Kitchen

The July/August issue of Louisiana 

Kitchen came off press earlier this week, and we're looking forward to getting copies of it in our hot little hands. We've been told numerous times that our premiere issue was a home run—I'm here to tell you that the second issue is a Grand Slam. Continuing the baseball analogy, September/October is going to be a Grand Slam while trailing by 3 at the bottom of the 9th, and November/December is the same, but in the bottom of the 9th of Game 7 of the World Series. Baseball fans, friends, and family can't believe what we have lined up for you so don't miss an issue, subscription information is here. 

Jyl and I thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Natchitoches last week. We checked into the lovely Queen Anne Bed and Breakfast Thursday night; our friend Kyle Edmiston, the new Assistant Secretary of the Louisiana Office of Tourism  was staying there as well, and we commiserated on the appalling cuts made to the Office's travel and tourism budget. Later in the evening, Kyle acted as our escort to the wine and cheese reception at the Natchioches Convention & Visitor's Bureau. Afterwards, a group of us meandered on to The Landing restaurant, where I enjoyed an excellent wedge salad with house-made bleu cheese dressing and a delicious shrimp cocktail (extra spicy).

​Friday morning, Jyl and I headed over to the event center and spent an hour catching up with all our friends in travel, tourism, and hospitality prior to heading into the annual LTPA luncheon. Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne delivered a fiery keynote, while managing to inject some humor around all the bad budget news.

SOAPBOX ALERT: Louisiana's tourism industry is responsible, in one form or another, for about one in ten jobs in this state, and, for every $1 spent marketing tourism to and within the state, $17 comes back to us in the form of dollars spent by tourists. In other words, if we have $100,000 less to spend on marketing our state, our state loses 1,700,000 tourist dollars. That costs jobs. If you live in Louisiana, call your senators, representatives, and your governor and complain. (soapbox dismount)

Friday afternoon, after catching up on emails, we joined the most hospitable Iris Harper, director of the Natchitoches Convention and Visitor's Center, for a tour around town. We ended the evening at the Pioneer Pub, where the proprietress sliced us up a plate of incredible tomatoes from her own garden, as if the regular menu wasn't impressive enough on its own. Saturday morning we hit the farmer's market for tamales, watermelons, shelled peas, cucumbers, jerky, salsa, all along the banks of the oxbow lake formed from the Cane River and that dissects town. Iris gave us a quick tour of Melrose Plantation on our way out of town.

​We really look forward to returning for a lengthier visit.

Best-

                                                              
Susan Ford, President
Our Kitchen & Culture, LLC.

http://louisiana.kitchenandculture.com
susan@kitchenandculture.com  

We have bowed to pressure and are now tweeting: @kitchnculture

Louisiana Kitchen is now on sale at Rouses; Hastings; Books a Million; and Barnes & Noble in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Pick up a copy and let us know what you think. You can also order a single copy via our website, or by calling 504-208-9959.

Find a copy of
Louisiana Kitchen at your local Rouses Supermarket now!

Jyl and I both revere Saveur​ magazine, and take a lot of inspiration from its pages. When we heard they'd published a comfort food cookbook, we raced each other to the nearest bookstore, just in case there was only one copy left—luckily for us, there was a stack, and we both took one home. Mac & Cheese is one of those foods up toward the top of my list of required eating; I don't do it very often, therefore I don't feel guilty for overindulging when I do. This recipe has a ton of butter, cream, milk, and both Cheddar and bleu cheese, and it's topped off with buttery bread crumbs. Go ahead, make it this weekend. Excerpted from Saveur: The New Comfort Food: 

Macaroni & Cheese with Ham

Short Shameful Secret: by the time we put an issue to bed, I am so sick of cooking the recipes, editing the recipes, and staring at the photos, I don't prepare much from the actual magazine once it's off press for several months. This compound butter is an exception; there's almost always a bowl of it in my refrigerator. Lemon, Parmesan, parsley, chives, and pepper flavor it, and it's a great topping for grilled or boiled corn, steamed vegetables, baked or grilled fish or chicken; use it to toast French bread, toss it with cooked pasta or even use it as a base for bruschetta. My nephew Vince brought his college buddies  over last weekend and ate an entire platter of corn slathered in the stuff. It's that good.

Cajun Cabin Butter Recipe Here

Jul 4, 2012 to Jul 8, 2012

Mandeville: Mandeville Seafood Festival

Jul 5, 2012 to Jul 8, 2012

Fourchon: Golden Meadow/Fourchon International Tarpon Rodeo

Jul 5, 2012 to Jul 7, 2012

New Iberia: Acadiana 4-H District Horseshow

Jul 6, 2012 to Jul 8, 2012

Farmerville: Louisiana Watermelon Festival

New Orleans: Essence Music Festival

Jul 7, 2012

Lebeau: 22nd Annual Lebeau Zydeco Festival

Gonzales: Jolly Jingles presents Christmas in July

Jul 13, 2012 to Jul 14, 2012

Morgan City: Morgan City Under the Bridge

Jul 13, 2012 to Jul 15, 2012

New Orleans: San Fermin en Nueva Orleans (Running of the Bulls)

Jul 14, 2012

New Iberia: Zydeco Bash

Jul 14, 2012 to Jul 15, 2012

Ponchatoula: Christmas In July

200+ Events Listed Here
If you would like to list your event please contact Susan.

Published in Louisiana by Louisianians

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You are receiving this because you have indicated you are interested in authentic Louisiana cuisine and recipes.  
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 Louisiana Kitchen is a registered trademark of Our Kitchen and Culture, LLC.