Mardi Gras Menu!
Posted by Taylor
Wednesday February 15, 2012Beads, parades, and excessive partying in the streets are the three main things I associate with Mardi Gras. After doing a little digging of my own though, I discovered that Mardi Gras is so much more– a celebration seeped in tradition and rich with history. Besides an excuse to eat heaps of jambalaya and slap on elaborately-painted masks, Mardi Gras (also known as “Shrove” or “Fat Tuesday”) is the “feast before the fast.” It is always the day before Ash Wednesday, when it it’s deemed acceptable (and, by many, encouraged) to get carried away with the abundance of food and festivities leading up to Lent. It is said that the first celebration of Mardi Gras in the United States commenced in Mobile, Alabama in 1703. And it has now developed into one of the biggest parties in America.
According to Eula Mae Doré, Louisiana native and author of Eula Mae’s Cajun Kitchen, the main hope of Mardi Gras “is that everyone gets together to visit and enjoy a good meal.” Sounds like my kind of celebration! Since I’ve always wanted to visit New Orleans for Mardi Gras, but my bank account never seems to support that dream of hopping on a plane and experiencing the Big Easy’s most celebratory day of the year, I plan on getting in the spirit by trying my hand at some New Orleans-inspired dishes.
For those of you like me who want a taste of Mardi Gras but don’t have the luxury of jet-setting to the Mecca of Cajun and Creole cooking, have a look and taste at these two dishes from Eula Mae’s Mardi Gras menu– Short Rib Jambalaya and Baked Cheese Grits! We’ll be posting some additional Mardi Gras-inspired dishes over the next few days, so be sure to check back!
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