Mardi Gras was first celebrated in New Orleans by the flamboyant Grand Marquis de Vaudreuil, who created the first “bal masque” or costumed Mardi Gras in the 1740s. That tradition is going on today along Bourbon, St. Charles, Canal and other streets.
Mardi Gras translates to “Fat Tuesday,” a day of indulgence and revelry before Lent, where fasting and abstinence are practiced.
Creole and Cajun foods are often thought of as foods of New Orleans. Creole is derived from the Spanish term “criollo” or “a child born in the colonies.” This would mean the original French or Spanish settlers today but Creole exists not so much as a race or breed as it does as an attitude, a way of living rooted mainly in the city’s Gallic heritage. A typical DNA of Creole people would be originally from the Caribbean and has French, Spanish, Portuguese, British or Dutch ancestry, mixed with sub-Saharan African ethnicities, and sometimes mixed with Native Indigenous peoples of the Americas.
So it is hard to distinguish which food is Creole and which one is Cajun. For example, gumbo is both Creole and Cajun, with Creole gumbo typically with tomatoes while Cajun does not.
This is what makes the foods of this region so unique and delicious. Foods such as crab cakes, jambalaya, gumbo, etouffee, red beans, beignets and pecan pralines are just some of the wonderful dishes you would be served today. So start cooking for a great meal today to celebrate Mardi Gras.
Starting with appetizers of gently boiled shrimp, there could be two sauces served with them:
A classic cocktail sauce or a remoulade sauce.
Classic Cocktail Sauce
1 cup catsup
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon black pepper
Dash of salt.
Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl and refrigerate for a few hours. Serve with boiled jumbo shrimp centered on the table for peeling and eating with your fingers. Yields 1-1/4 cups.
Remoulade Sauce
2 cups Creole mustard
4 tablespoons celery, diced
4 stalks green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon paprika
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
4 tablespoons garlic, pureed
Dash of salt
3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
In a mixer or blender, combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Chill completely. Serve over boiled shrimp arranged in a bed of shredded lettuce. Yields 3 cups.
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Jambalaya is a Creole/Cajun American dish that originated in Africa and Europe. The word jambalaya is likely to have come from “jambalaia,” a Provencal French word for “mishmash.”
As Louisiana is the third largest rice producer in the United States and is a major export crop, jambalaya is an appropriate dish for this region.
Chicken and
Sausage Jambalaya
Serves 6
In a heavy 5-quart Dutch oven or pan, over medium-high heat, add and cook for 5 minutes:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch chunks, seasoned with Cajun seasoning
Remove chicken from pot. Add and brown for 5 minutes:
1 pound andouille or smoked spicy sausage, cut into 1 inch discs
Add the trinity of:
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup green bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
Scrape bottom of pot for browned pieces of chicken and sausage. Simmer, covered for 5 minutes, stirring while cooking.
Add chicken to the pot, add and mix well and lower heat:
1- (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Mix well and taste to adjust flavors. Add and mix well:
2 cups uncooked extra long grain rice
Bring mixture to a boil, cover, and lower the heat. Gently simmer for 10 minutes and then stir mixture to bring rice to the top.
Cover and lower the heat and cook for another 30 minutes or until the rice is done. Do not lift the lid while the jambalaya is cooking. Cook at the lowest setting.
Serve with a crusty French bread and a side salad.
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To end the meal, Bananas Foster is an easy dessert.
Bananas Foster
Serves 6
6 whole bananas, quartered
1/4 pound butter
3 cups brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 ounces banana liqueur
2 ounces brandy
6 dishes of vanilla ice cream.
Melt the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a saucepan. Add the bananas and banana liqueur. Let cook until thoroughly heated. Flame with randy, serve over ice cream.
Laissez les bons temps rouler, or Let the good times roll!
Email Audrey Wilson at audreywilson808@gmail.com.
