Ruthie Foster Let It Burn (Blue Corn Music): Like her fellow Texan wonder Gary Clark Jr., Foster’s musical output has been all over the place—and that’s to our benefit. She’s a lauded folk musician as well as a Grammy-nominated blues artist. But on Let It Burn, Foster once again tests her comfort zone, recording the album in New Orleans with some of the Crescent City’s finest musicians, including members of the Funky Meters and saxophone wizard James Rivers William Bell.

Confession: I tolerate venison. But, if I’m being honest, I’m more intimidated than delighted to have a freezer full of it at the end of deer season. In past years, I’ve had no problem plowing through the ground meat via chili, burgers, and meat sauce. It’s the other cuts that I haven’t quite mastered. However, a couple of weeks ago, we made this Matt and Ted Lee recipe for what are essentially venison fajitas. Now I wish we had even more meat