Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras means fat Tuesday, the culmination of the season between Christmas and Lent. Fat Tuesday falls on the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. During the 46-day Lent period, many Christians forego the eating of meat, either completely or on Fridays. They also traditionally give up a favored food, drink, or habit. Fat Tuesday is a last chance party excuse before a six-week period of abstinence, and residents of New Orleans, Louisiana, are famous for their Mardi Gras celebrations and parades.
Celebration Foods
New Orleans is famous for Cajun and Creole foods, so it's no wonder that those who celebrate Mardi Gras concentrate on these foods for their Fat Tuesday parties. Most Mardi Gras parties are pretty casual—with food served buffet-style to be nibbled before, after or during one of the crazy and colorful parades.
Among Mardi Gras food favorites is the muffuletta sandwich made with smoked ham, salami and the classic olive relish—which is key to its flavor. For a big party, the sandwiches are often served on a long roll, and carved into manageable portions.
Muffuletta Sandwich (need recipe)
Another popular Mardi Gras staple is gumbo, the thick and spicy Creole stew or soup concoction that typically consists of rich stock (seafood or chicken) plus okra, shrimp or crawfish, sausage, rice, celery, bell peppers and onions. Jambalaya and Red Beans and Rice are other tasty bayou choices that grace many a Mardi Gras buffet table.
Jambalaya (sausage - could also add chicken or shrimp)
Crawfish Etouffée (or shrimp or chicken)
Shrimp Creole
Chicken & Sausage Gumbo (could use shrimp & sausage)
Red Beans & Rice
Dirty Rice
Maquechoux (corn side dish)
Traditional beverages poured at Mardi Gras gatherings, depending on the time of day, include coffee and chicory/café au lait, along with stronger stuff such as Bloody Mary’s, mint juleps and milk punch (made with bourbon or brandy, half-and-half, superfine sugar, vanilla extract and nutmeg).
The King Cake
No Mardi Gras celebration is complete without a King Cake, also known as Twelfth Night Cake. The ‘King’ reference is to the three kings who presented gifts to the Baby Jesus in Bethlehem. Mardi Gras season runs from the feast of the Epiphany (January 6), which commemorates the arrival of the three wise men, and culminates with the big final bash on Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of Lent.
This cake is actually a sweetened yeast bread, usually baked in a twisted ring shape. The cake is frosted with gold, green, and purple icing representing in order, power, faith, and justice. The traditional colors on the King Cake date back to 1872. They were taken from a prominent parade group, called a krewe.
Although this cake is colorful and tasty, the real fun hides within the cake. The maker of each King Cake hides a token in the cake. The tokens used are a dried red bean or a figurine of a baby, representing the Christ child. When the cake is cut and shared, the finder of the hidden treasure is said to enjoy good luck for the coming year. The lucky recipient may also be expected to bake the King Cake or throw the Mardi Gras party for the following year.
Mardi Gras King Cake
Gâteau des Rois (French King Cake)
And don't forget about the famous Beignets!
Make It Festive with Feathers and Beads
You’re going to want to accessorize your table, of course, using the purple/green/gold Mardi Gras colors and lots of trinkets. Your local party store can probably provide things such as the aforementioned little plastic babies, plus the colorful shiny beads, doubloons and plumed feathers and masks associated with this festive season.
If you can’t make it to New Orleans for Mardi Gras this year, turn your street into Bourbon Street and celebrate it at home with family and friends. Put on some Dixieland jazz or Cajun/Zydeco music, and as they say in New Orleans, Laissez les bon temps rouler, or Let the good times roll!
