Newsletter: in the kitchen: inspirational chefs and other cooking muses

Fellow cooking enthusiasts, Last week we lost one of our culinary heroes, chef Paul Prudhomme. After Julia Child, it was Prudhomme who really glamorized the kitchen, and he did it

celebrating a cuisine unique to America. These dishes — his blackened redfish became a national sensation — weren’t fancy. They were rustic dishes similar to so many we grew up with, but he

legitimized them. He made them special. He made them better. Russ Parsons reminds us that the humble little walnut also has a season, and now is the time to start celebrating -- and he has a

dozen recipes to share. If you're looking for a little weeknight dinner inspiration, we have six great chicken recipes to help you out. Oh, and we share nine fun pancake recipes,

because you can never have too many good pancake recipes up your sleeve. And if you've ever wanted an incredibly fun recipe for foie gras, look no further than L.A.-based Peruvian chef

Ricardo Zarate for inspiration. He likes to use it in churros. Yes, churros. — Noelle Carter PAUL PRUDHOMME, LOUISIANA CHEF WHO POPULARIZED CAJUN COOKING, DIES AT 75 David Colker writes The

Times' obituary for the chef, noting, "Prudhomme’s cooking was Cajun, but very personal, fired by his imagination and based on fresh, local ingredients. And before it became widely

popular for chefs to use basic ingredients they produced themselves, Prudhomme was growing peanuts, raising chickens and butchering animals to make his own sausages and patés." Times

Test Kitchen director Noelle Carter, who worked with Prudhomme early in her career, shares personal memories of her mentor. Simon Russell / Getty Images WHY WE'RE NUTS ABOUT WALNUTS,

PLUS A DOZEN RECIPES Among all the great fall produce to be found at the market now, one of Russ Parsons' favorites is the walnut. "Fresh-crop walnuts, right off the tree, are so

creamy and sweet. The shells are still pliable; you can crush them in your hand. Serve these with a platter of ripe cheeses and the last of the red wine; there isn’t a fall dessert

better." Of course, there are so many other ways to enjoy them, from great desserts to inspiring savory dishes. He shares a dozen recipes. Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times 6 GREAT

WEEKNIGHT CHICKEN IDEAS Why is chicken so popular? Well, it cooks pretty quickly. And depending on what you buy, it can be both flavorful and diet-friendly. It's versatile -- you can

combine it with almost any flavor combination. Perhaps best of all? It's easy. Roast a whole chicken, or pick up your favorite pieces to cook on their own. Chicken doesn't have to

be complicated, especially on a busy weeknight. Here are six ideas. Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times 9 OF OUR FAVORITE PANCAKE RECIPES, EVER Pancakes are one of those simple culinary

marvels – ladle some batter on a hot griddle and watch them puff up slowly, their fragrant aroma gently waking you (and maybe the rest of the house). Serve them fresh and hot, baptized with

warm syrup or whatever you prefer as a topping. We’ve compiled nine of our favorites, including classic pancakes, Dutch babies, whole wheat pancakes, hotcakes studded with fruit and nuts –

or both. Some even bake up in the oven. Hungry yet? Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times MAKING FOIE GRAS CHURROS WITH PERUVIAN CHEF RICARDO ZARATE California's fois gras ban was lifted

in January, and since then it's resurfaced as a culinary muse for many a chef, including our own Ricardo Zarate. One of his latest creations? Foie gras churros. The sweet creations were

featured on the menu at a limited-run pop-up restaurant he opened on the Westside this summer. As Zarate tells Food editor Amy Scattergood, they were the only reason his 9-year-old son,

Gabriel, came to his father's temporary restaurant. Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times JONATHAN GOLD'S 101 THE 101 IS COMING! THE LOS ANGELES TIMES WILL PUBLISH JONATHAN GOLD’S 101

BEST RESTAURANTS, THE AUTHORITATIVE ANNUAL GUIDE TO LOCAL DINING, ON NOV. 4. THE PRINT EDITION WILL BE DELIVERED TO THE TIMES’ SATURDAY SUBSCRIBERS ON NOV. 7. AND IN HONOR OF THIS YEAR’S

BEST, MR. GOLD WILL HOST A 101 LAUNCH PARTY AT UNION STATION THAT EVENING. FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO LATIMES.COM/GETGOLD. OFFICIAL HASHTAG #JGOLD101 CHECK OUT THE THOUSANDS OF RECIPES ON

OUR RECIPE DATABASE.  FEEDBACK? We’d love hear from you. Email us at [email protected] Love cooking as much as I do? Follow me on Twitter: @noellecarter