Category: Mardi Gras

I am an information junkie.  My travel journal is full of fascinating foodie factoids and regional fare ratings starring the spotlight taste of home – Mardi Gras food.

One never knows when the need for a conversation starter or trivia answer round the water cooler, dinner table or game board will present itself.

Louisianians love their Mardi Gras food, and one of our absolute most delicious regional dishes came in as the state favorite.

Curious to see what sweet treat sensation is deliciously associated with what state?  Click on the image below and the magic of link love will take you right on over to “The United Sweets of America”, a fun read by Slate associate editor L.V. Anderson.

By the way, the dessert ranked number one in Louisiana is, drum roll please, Bananas Foster.

Slate

Speaking of which regional sweet treat your state is known for, when the calendar points to Mardi Gras season Mardi Gras food is the topic of Carnival culinary conversation.

The Louisiana Loyal are finding themselves with a hankering for a taste of sweet home Louisiana.

Phone calls, text messages and email requests for Mardi Gras food recipes come fast and furious during Mardi Gras season.

Our Canadian snowbird son.

The Missouri snow shoveling nephew.

Floridian flamingos and Don’t Mess with Texas cousins.

East Tennessean hills friends.

Chicago suburbs aunts and uncles.

I guess what they say is true- you can take the boy or the girl out of Louisiana but you can’t take Louisiana out of the boy or the girl.

The proof is in the bread pudding!

Gosh, does that sound good!

Wondering what Mardi Gras food recipes inspire the masses to phone home?

Here’s a look at the Mardi Gras food and recipe requests thus far:

Bananas Foster

This legendary Louisiana dessert is the stuff flamboyant flambé tableside preparation and presentation culinary dreams are made of.

Bananas, melted butter and brown sugar dance the dance of caramelization awaiting generous pours of banana liqueur and dark rum.

The grand finale of flame and circumstance showcases the art of tableside exhibition, the lagniappe of New Orleans tradition.

The recipe for my version of Bananas Foster takes the top slot on our Mardi Gras food desserts menu.

King Cake

A King Cake is a sweet traditional cinnamon filled coffee cake style pastry glazed with topping and sprinkled with sugar in the Royal colors of purple, green, and gold.

King Cake parties rule the Carnival season.

Tradition dictates Mardi Gras revelers love the tradition of eating this Carnival confection during Mardi Gras season.

The custom of the plastic baby baked into the cake is steeped in culinary Carnival tradition, and if you are the lucky reveler who gets the piece of King Cake with the baby you are named “King for a Day”.

With great King Cake power comes great King Cake responsibility.

Tradition dictates the “King for a Day” is obligated to host the next King Cake party.

Hoppin’ John Grits

Hoppin’ John Grits, a Southern with a kick recipe of black eyed peas seasoned with chopped onions, bell peppers and celery (the Cajun trinity) and ham served atop white grits is low country goodness wrapped in Louisiana c’est si bon flavor.

This recipe for Hoppin’ John Grits is another Mardi Gras food favorite.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo 

Click on the link to view the recipe for Chicken and Sausage Gumbo 

This is the  email I received from the Canadian snowbird that kicked off this post:

Re: Mardi Gras Mambo Gumbo

Mom,

Thanks for the King Cake recipe!

Could you send me your chicken and sausage gumbo and Creole~Cajun Seasoning recipes by chance?

The parades are rolling, Carnival colors of purple, green and gold are everywhere, krewes stand dressed and ready to heed the calls of “Throw me something, Mister!”, and kitchens across the state are turning out bowls of hearty Mardi Gras gumbo by the gumbo pots full.

It’s that time of year again for the Places In The Home seasonings Mardi Gras gumbo good time history lesson and recipe feature.

Louisiana Cajun Mardi Gras Art Print

In rural Cajun parishes of Louisiana, costumed participants saddled up and on horseback make the Fat Tuesday run, the annual Courir de Mardi Gras.

Courir run

Masked riders will hunt, gather and produce ingredients found at local farms to put in the end of run community gumbo.

Courir Run

Gumbo recipes in our area of the world range from chicken and andouille sausage to duck to seafood full of shrimp, crab and oysters.

Bell pepper, onion and celery, otherwise known as  the Cajun holy trinity, gets the seasonings Mardi Gras gumbo ball rolling.

For a period back in the lat 1970’s, my dad got on a kick of making duck and seafood gumbo on Christmas Eve.

Good and tasty times!

He stopped cooking seafood or duck gumbo upon discovering the ultimate taste of Mardi Gras, Prejean’s Seafood Gumbo.

Located in Lafayette, Louisiana, Prejean’s (pronouned pray-shjohn) Restaurant is a family style restaurant serving Cajun and Creole dishes.

There is a difference between Cajun and Creole foods, but not nearly enough to matter to most.

One taste of Prejean’s Seafood Gumbo and you’ll know what the buzz is all about.

Prejean’s Seafood Gumbo

Ingredients: (roux)

¾ cup oil

1 cup flour

Ingredients: (stock)

Kitchen bouquet (optional)

8 oz. unsalted butter

1 ½ cups chopped onions

1 cup chopped bell pepper

½ cup chopped celery

1 gallon water

4 ounces chicken bouillon granules

2 bay leaves

seasonings: 1 tsp. Salt*, black pepper, and red pepper

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 pounds peeled shrimp

1 pound crabmeat

1 pound crawfish

2 cups oysters (optional)

¼ cup green onions

*Salt should not be added until late in the simmering process, after some of the water has evaporated.  Salt is already present in the bouillon broth.

Method:

Heat oil in large, heavy pot.  Add flour slowly, stirring all the while. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until dark brown in color.  (If you are worried about burning the roux, cook to a medium dark color and add Kitchen Bouquet for extra color).

All at once, add the chopped onions, bell pepper, and celery. Continue to cook until vegetables are transparent (about 10-15 minutes).  Add bay leaves and seasonings and cook on low for 45 minutes.

Add 1 gallon of water and the 4 ounces of chicken bouillon to the roux and stir slowly until thoroughly mixed.

One minute prior to servings, add shrimp, crabmeat, crawfish, and oysters to the gumbo.

Serve in a bowl over rice.  Garnish with chopped green onion tops.

Serves 8.

Prejean’s Restaurant

The seasonings and measurements of a Mardi Gras gumbo recipe can be the best kept secret.

Mardi Gras gumbo is traditionally  served with rice.   Gumbo side pairings include saltine crackers, french bread, a boiled egg and/or a hearty scoop of potato salad.

Pass the file and a good time, it’s Mardi Gras gumbo season in Louisiana.

If I had a nickel for every New Orleans King Cake party, Laissez les Bons Temps Rouler! and Throw Me Something, Mister attended and yelled throughout the cities and parishes of Louisiana, it would be Hurricanes for all on the patio at Pat O’Brien’s.

From its opening in 1933, Pat O’Brien’s has remained a French Quarter landmark- a quintessential New Orleans party in the French Quarter favorite.

Patrons have three points of Pat O’Brien’s interest to choose from- the dueling pianos in the Piano Lounge, the Main Bar or the Pat O’s Patio.

My relationship with Pat O’Brien’s dates back to my days at LSU, and here’s proof of one of those fun evenings on the patio (that’s me on the bottom right).

What a fun place for good times and making great memories!

Pat O’Briens

New Orleans King Cake is a Carnival staple- a local delicacy rich in taste, history, and tradition.

King Cake parties go hand in hand with Mardi Gras as perfect opportunities to do what we do well here in Louisiana- pass a good time!

King Cakes traditionally are braided dough oval cakes baked with a small plastic baby inside.

The top of the cake is covered with sugar in traditional.

Friends, neighbors, family, and Krewe members partake in the delicacy, and the person who receives the slice of cake with the baby keeps with tradition by hosting the next King Cake party.

New versions of the New Orleans King Cake take the Mardi Gras season by delicious surprise.

Case in Carnival point…

Cochon Butcher 

What’s not to hunka hunka burning love about The Elvis King Cake exclusively from a Cochon Butcher.

Braided yeast bread filled with peanut butter & bananas, marshmallow topping, candied bacon, sprinkles, and the cutest little plastic pig is Carnival culinary genius.

All this talk of King Cakes and Carnival has me thinking King Cake party.

I’m presently without camera, but not without recipe.

This recipe cuts to the King Cake chase by using refrigerated crescent rolls as well as packing big almond flavor.

King Cakes aren’t necessarily good for the waistline, but they are good for the soul.

Crescent City Crescent Roll King Cake

Ingredients

2  cans refrigerated crescent rolls

¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup almond paste (see recipe below)

½ cup finely chopped pecans

1 stick butter,  melted

For Almond Paste

1 ½ cups whole blanched almonds

1  2/3 cups powdered sugar

¼ cup egg white

½ teaspoon almond extract

For Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

½  teaspoon pure vanilla flavoring

1  teaspoon almond extract

1 Tablespoon milk

For Colored Sugars

1½ cups granulated sugar, divided into 3 equal parts

red, blue, green, and yellow food coloring

Directions

For Almond Paste

Using a food processor grind the almonds into a fine powder (this should take about 2 minutes).  Add powdered sugar, blending well.  Place mixture in a large mixing bowl. S tir in egg whites and almond extract until smooth. On a flat surface Lightly dusted a flat surface with powdered.  Roll out almond paste into a 14″ x 1-2″ log.  Wrap in parchment paper and chill for a minimum of 1 hour.  When rested, cut the log in two pieces.  Wrap in wax paper and chill.

~recipe from Food.com

For King Cake

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Unroll crescent rolls -do not separate- and place on baking sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Lightly press crescent rolls at seams to seal.  Mix allspice, cinnamon, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together.  Brush crescent rolls with melted butter. Spoon prepared sugar mixture over crescent rolls.  Drop almond paste by teaspoonfuls over the top of the crescent rolls.  Top with chopped pecans.

Begin at the long end of crescents and carefully roll into a log similar to a jelly roll.  Bring ends together, pinching together to form a ring.  Bake at 350ºF for  20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.  Allow to cool to room temperature.

For Glaze

In medium mixing bowl, whisk add all ingredients together until smooth. Drizzle glaze over top of King Cake.

For Colored Sugars

Divide the 1½ cups sugar evenly into three separate cups or small bowls. For the purple color, add one drop of red and one drop of blue food coloring to ½ cup sugar.  Add 2 drops yellow to the second ½ cup of sugar to make the gold sugar, and add 2 drops green to the last ½ cup of sugar to make the green sugar.  Gently blend sugar with food coloring(s). Sprinkle top of cake with colored sugars in color block form by alternating colors. Follow with desired decorations.

Cut me a piece of New Orleans King Cake, mister!