Author: Photos by Eugenia Uhl

Turnip Greens Soup with Orzo

Makes 4 servings 2 pounds turnip greens 4 cloves garlic, chopped 5 cups chicken stock 1/2 cup orzo 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to…

Shrimp Salad with Tomatoes and Pesto

SHRIMP 1 pound boiled shrimp, peeled and deveined 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice 1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, halved pesto coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper lettuce leaves PESTO 2 cups loosely packed fresh basil 1/2 clove garlic 1/4 cup…

Chicken Breasts with Caper Sauce

Makes 4 servings 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound) 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/2 cup chicken stock 1/2 cup white wine 2 teaspoons lemon juice 2 teaspoons capers, drained 2 teaspoons…

Shrimp Salad

Serves 4 or more 1 pound small shrimp, peeled 2 tablespoons Cajun/Creole seasoning 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 1/4 teaspoon finely-grated lemon zest 2 tablespoons…

Green Pea and Lettuce Custard Recipe

  Makes 4 servings 1 teaspoon butter 1/2 cup chopped romaine lettuce 3/4 cup frozen green peas 4 large eggs 2 cups whole milk 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees. Butter 4 10-ounce ramekins and place in…

Take Two

Gin & Tonic 1 slice lime 1 slice cucumber 1 large basil leaf 2 ounces gin ice cubes 4-6 ounces tonic water Place lime, cucumber and basil leaf in a tall glass or balloon glass. Add gin and press on…

Just Desserts

Open almost any Louisiana cookbook and you’ll find a big section of dessert recipes, a testament to our love of sweets. The recipes often include both traditional and modern desserts. As tastes change…

Berry Blast

Louisiana has an abundance of official symbols (the state doughnut is the beignet, the state crustacean is the crawfish and the state vegetable is the sweet potato, for example), but I only recently learned that we even have an official…

Winter Medley

Parsnips In Butter 1 pound parsnips 3 tablespoons unsalted butter coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 tablespoons chopped parsley Peel parsnips and trim ends. Cook in boiling salted water until tender. Drain. Cut the thick sections…

How Sweet It Is

It’s hard to imagine Thanksgiving and Christmas without sweet potatoes on the table. They appear in a variety of guises — candied, gussied up with marshmallows, turned into soups, casseroles, breads, puddings and pies. They marry happily with holiday dressings,…

Kitchen Gourmet: Versatile Veggie

Eggplant With Garlic, Parsley And Parmesan 2 long, thin Asian eggplants (about 4 oz. each) 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped 2 teaspoons chopped parsley ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus additional, if needed coarse salt and freshly ground…

Kitchen Gourmet: Love or Leave

Tip If your grill doesn’t have large spaces between the bars, you can cook the okra directly on the grill without fear of it falling into the fire. Otherwise, use a finer-meshed grill tray or basket on top of the…

Traveler: Pirate Tales

The town of Jean Lafitte invites you to meet its favorite pirate and explore his Barataria wetlands with dry feet. Predictably, the town holds the title of unofficial guardian of its namesake’s place in history, but local bragging rights don’t…

Neutral Strip Bicentennial

The story of Louisiana’s Neutral Strip, condoned by international agreement, was created in 1806 and ended with a treaty whose Bicentennial we celebrate this year, but the desperate decades of a “No-Man’s-Land” ruled by highwaymen and marauders had begun long…

The Little Museum That Could

Now enjoying its reputation as a major attraction for locals and visitors, the West Baton Rouge Museum (WBRM) in Port Allen was just a name in 1968 when the brand new WBR Historical Association “borrowed” a small former courthouse to…

Old Times Renewed

  Much more than a conventional plantation tour, to visit Kent House in Alexandria is to see cultural conservation in action, with its proactive application of demonstration and teaching skills to preserve our collective and individual memory of traditions, folkways,…

Seaside Summer

Grand Isle is an important part of the River Delta and dwindling Chenier Plain habitats, as well as a popular fishing and birding hub for both residents and visitors

One Man’s Dream

LSU’s Rural Life Museum and Windrush Gardens in Baton Rouge is a 25-acre advanced course in who we are and why

Between the Rivers

Hit the road for a getaway filled with food, fun, history and loads of nature in Vidalia and nearby Natchez, Mississippi

Natural Education

Nature centers dazzle in fall, teach us about Louisiana’s outdoors environments

Sights & Sites

Exploring Civil War history will bring you to forts, exhibits and landmarks all over Louisiana.

Old-Fashioned, New-Fangled New Orleans Tours

‘Tis the season, and Louisiana streets and buildings are once again donning those tinsel-time colors of red and green. For New Orleans and especially the French Quarter, however, red is the dominant hue by a wide margin, thanks to a…

Honoring Athletes at the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame

The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame was established by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association in 1958, but it was a Hall without a hall until Natchitoches and Northwestern State University stepped up to the plate in 1971 with an offer…

Cycles of Life Along the Creole Nature Trail

Road trip! From the farthest corner of Louisiana, it’s only four hours to a destination that attracts nature-lovers from the farthest corners of America. The Creole Nature Trail – among the first of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s 150…