New Orleans has a special place in my heart. If you have ever been there, you know what I mean. It’s one of the most unique cities I have visited in the U.S., and I miss it until I can visit again.
The Mister and I even got married there, with a Second Line parade and all. It was amazing! The sights, the tremendous jazz seeping through the streets, the melt-in-your-mouth food… it is truly one of the best.
Anytime you visit, Bourbon Street is guaranteed to be a madhouse. The last time we visited, we couldn’t even keep up with it. It is just that crazy, folks. If there is one thing the Beaverhausen’s can do, it is keep up. But not down there. Not on Bourbon. And especially not during Mardi Gras.
Happy Fat Tuesday
When this article runs, it will be Fat Tuesday. The official Mardi Gras day! Happy Fat Tuesday everyone!!
(For the record, I am writing this during the Super Bowl. This may end up being the written version of Drunk History. But for the good of the holiday, I will press on.)
Fat Tuesday is basically the final hurrah for Catholics before Lent. It is supposed to be the day you indulge in fatty foods before the fasting season of Lent begins. The season of Mardi Gras usually begins on the Feast of the Epiphany and ends on Ash Wednesday.
Bourbon Street literally shuts down at midnight on Ash Wednesday. Bourbon goes from INsane to crickets when the clock hits 12. That is it. Party is over. The next morning, everyone makes their way down to Jackson Square to enjoy some Café Du Monde beignets to soak up their hangover before 12:05 pm ashes at St. Louis Cathedral.
Writing this from the North, it is hard to completely soak in the traditions of the South without being there. However, let me give you a few recipes and things to bring to the Mardi Gras party you are clearly wanting to plan now, right in Beaver County.
Tell your boss you are taking the day off. You have some pre-Lent things to take care of! That should be considered a religious obligation, I think? Maybe you should check with HR before you do anything crazy though…
(All of the scrumptious recipes will be listed in hyperlinks.)
Breakfast Beignets
Let’s start where the day starts and get some breakfast first. Beignets. These are little square clouds of fried love, dusted ever so gently with powdered sugar and served with a Café Au Lait. These are a must on Fat Tuesday! If you don’t feel like making them, I’m sure a regular old donut will work too. But it is lacking the mound of shirt-dusting beignet dust. That is part of the charm, folks. To look like you sneezed into a bag of confectioner’s sugar.
Nawlins Style Bloody Mary’s
After that, you should probably have a Bloody Mary, Nawlins style. With a kick of cayenne, hot sauce and Cajun. Oh, chere! That is sure to wake up your senses and expel some demons.
This is the time of day that is sneaking up on lunch, but yet it’s still sort of breakfast. So, have a quick nap and then…
Muffuletta Sandwiches
Make a Muffuletta sandwich comparable to the Central Grocery. This is a large round sandwich, filled with a few different lunch meats and cheeses and spread heavily with an olive relish. Amazingly, last week at Aldi I found a jar of this goodie deliciousness. A perfect sandwich to get you through a few…
Hurricanes
Hurricanes. This is the drink of Nola, specifically Pat O’Brien’s. Pat’s is a staple on Bourbon, with the flaming fountain on the back patio. This fruity tall drink will kick you in the butt. You should only have one. If you have two, I just don’t know what will happen. If you have three, well, I am real sorry for you tomorrow.
Red Beans and Rice
You probably want to get some Red Beans and Rice. Another Nola staple, this was traditionally a Monday meal, using the leftover pork bones from Sunday dinner. Cooked slow and low all day, this meal is served with some smoked sausage and an Abita beer. (JRs has Abita – it is a delicious brew!)
Bread Pudding
Finally, ending the night with bread pudding. My absolute favorite part of the Fat Tuesday experience, we like to load our bowls with this warm boozey dessert. Soft bread with the taste of whiskey. One of the best desserts we make (and we make a lot of desserts).
But, again, if you aren’t feeling like baking, Kretchmar’s in Beaver has plenty of King Cakes, another Mardi Gras tradition. There are plastic babies in the cake. Weird, right?? But, whoever gets the baby also apparently gets good luck!
Now be sure to wrap things up at midnight and I will be seeing you all for ashes at Saints Peter and Paul at noon tomorrow. Laissez les bons temps rouler.
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