Name: Creole Jambalaya
Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 lb. smoked ham (cubed); 1/2 lb. chaurice* (hot sausage cut in pieces); 1/2 lb. smoked sausage (cut in 1/2-inch slices); 1 cup chopped onions; 3 cups uncooked rice; 1/4 cup chopped green onions; 1/2 tsp. paprika; 1 tbsp. chopped parsley; 1 tsp. ground thyme; 1 tsp. chopped garlic; 1/2 cup chopped green pepper; 1 tsp. salt; 1 bay leaf; 1 lb. shrimp (peeled and deveined); 4 cups boiling water

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from The Dooky Chase Cookbook by Leah Chase and are part of our story on Mardi Gras.

*Editor's note:

Chaurice is a freshly made (not precooked) hot sausage common in southern Louisiana. Any uncooked hot sausage can be substituted.

Recipe notes

Smothered Italian Sausage

This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.

Wampanoaug Clam Fritters

The clams’ natural briny sweetness serves as a surprising foil for the tender fritter batter—just be sure to pull off the tough outer coating of the siphon.

Oven-Fried Shrimp

Kewpie Mayonnaise is the ultimate secret ingredient to creating a perfect oven-baked battered-and-fried crunch without a deep fryer.

Chicken Croquettes

Rather than breaded and fried as you might expect croquettes to be, these are something more akin to a seared chicken salad patty.

Green Curry Mussels

The mussels here add their beautiful, briny juices into the curry, which turn this into a stunning and spectacular dish.

Sheet-Pan Sausage With Corn, Peach, and Cucumber Salad

This summery sheet-pan dinner celebrates the bounty of the season and couldn't be simpler to make. Chorizo plays nicely with the salad, thanks to its spice.

Luscious Banana Pudding

Layer homemade custard, ripe bananas, and vanilla wafers under clouds of whipped cream for this iconic dessert.

Sofrito Bolognese

An ex-boyfriend’s mom—who emigrated from Colombia—made the best meat sauce—she would fry sofrito for the base and simply add cooked ground beef, sazón, and jarred tomato sauce. My version is a bit more bougie—it calls for caramelized tomato paste and white wine—but the result is just as good.