BY ANN CIPPERLY
OPINION —
With Mardi Gras being held this year on Feb. 17, celebrate with Creole and Cajun inspired dishes for a festive dinner at home during the season. The zesty flavors will liven up mealtime on a cold winter’s evening. Cap the meal with a warm bread pudding with a special sauce.
Mardi Gras season begins on Twelfth Night, Jan. 6, also known as Epiphany. This is believed to be when the three wisemen visited the Christ Child. Tradition says the Mardi Gras colors were selected from the jewels in the crowns of the wise men.
The colors each having meaning. Purple is for justice, green for faith and gold for power. These colors are used during the Mardi Gras season for decorating trees, wreaths and other décor. The colors are also used on a king cake.
The tradition of Mardi Gras goes back to medieval France and began in America as a French Catholic tradition. Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday,” which is the last night of dining on rich foods before the season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. Lent begins 47 days before Easter.
Mobile is credited with holding America’s first Mardi Gras celebration in 1703. After the French settlers survived their first year in the new land, they celebrated with Mardi Gras. Numerous parades and celebrations are held during the season. During the parades MoonPies are thrown with the beads and trinkets from the floats.
The MoonPies became popular in the early 1960s after a group of ladies from Mobile discovered them while visiting Chattanooga, Tennessee. They thought the MoonPies would be a nice addition with the beads to throw from the now. Now, there are about 500,000 of the treats thrown during the Mardi Gras season.
On the Sunday before Fat Tuesday, Mobile holds Joe Cain Day with parades in honor of the person who revived Mardi Gras after the Civil War. Even though it was a time of sadness after the war, Joe Cain led a Mardi Gras parade through the streets.
By the 1730s, the event was annually celebrated with parties and festivals in New Orleans, Mardi Gras is celebrated in Southern Louisiana as well as New Orleans with numerous parades, events and parties.
The tradition of the king cake was brought from France to New Orleans. It can be similar to a coffee cake or pastry topped with icing or sugar and decorated with the Mardi Gras colors. Some cakes are filled with cream cheese or laced with cinnamon.
Most king cakes have a plastic or porcelain baby, which symbolizes Jesus, inserted in the cake. Whoever is served a slice of cake with the baby is king for the day. They are also responsible for hosting a party or providing a king cake the following year.
Instead of a baby in the cake, some insert a coin. Either one of these should be inserted in the cake after it is baked. Be sure to let guests know to check their slice to avoid choking. King cakes are available at local grocery stores or you can make your own. Kathy Hughes makes an easy king cake using crescent rolls stuffed with cream cheese and topped with icing and sprinkles in colors of purple, yellow and green.
Another dessert option is bread pudding with a sauce for a Mardi Gras inspired meal. Use French bread to absorb the creamy mixture with eggs. While bourbon sauce is traditionally served in New Orleans, a caramel sauce is delicious with bread pudding.
Jennifer Faircloth’s Oven Baked Jambalaya with sausage or shrimp is easy to put together and place in the oven, as well as Carole Perryman Smith’s Slow Cooker Jambalaya with chicken and sausage. Either one makes a hearty dish on a cold night. If your family doesn’t like foods that are too spicy, just adjust the seasonings in the recipes to suit their taste. Try adding a small amount to taste, then add more if needed.
Lenda Jo Connell is sharing Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice and a bread pudding from a restaurant in New Orleans. Lenda Jo grew up in Oak Grove, Louisiana, near the Mississippi River. She has fond memories of celebrating the tradition of Mardi Gras with her family, who rode horses in parades in New Orleans.
Look over the following recipes and assemble a menu for treating your family with a taste of Louisiana during the Mardi Gras season.
The Auburn Krewe de Tigris will hold its 10th anniversary parade on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, in downtown Auburn. The theme will be reflecting the influence of Valentine’s Day. The social organization was formed with the purpose of bringing together family, friends and community to enjoy fellowship year-round and celebrate the Mardi Gras season with parties and an annual parade.
Members host parties during the Mardi Gras season. Their focus during the season is to celebrate the history of the State of Alabama where the Mardi Gras celebration began in this country.
SHRIMP WITH EASY REMOULADE SAUCE
Can use boiled shrimp.
Oven Roasted Shrimp:
Large shrimp
Kosher salt and pepper
Olive oil
Lemon or lime juice
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and devein shrimp, leaving the tails intact. Place shrimp on a foil-lined sheet pan. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Brush or drizzle equal parts olive oil and lemon or lime juice over shrimp.
Roast in oven for six minutes. Can chill and serve later.
Easy Remoulade Sauce:
1 cup mayonnaise
3 green onions, sliced
2 Tbsp. Creole mustard
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley or 2 tsp. dried
Combine ingredients and stir until well blended
OVEN BAKED JAMBALAYA WITH SAUSAGE OR SHRIMP
Jennifer Faircloth
1 lb. Cajun or other smoked sausage cut into bite-size pieces or 1 lb. uncooked shrimp
1 can beef broth soup
1 can French onion soup
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 stick butter, cut into small pieces (can use 3/4 stick)
1/2 cup green onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1/4 cup dried parsley
2 cups Uncle Ben’s converted rice or brown rice
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. Tony Charchere’s or any Creole seasonings
Combine all ingredients in a Dutch oven or casserole dish. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Do not stir during baking time.
SHRIMP CREOLE
Chef Jim Sikes
A good sauce is what this dish is all about. The shrimp are cooked at the last minute. A simple, quick-cooked sauce keeps the dish light and will be enjoyed by all.
Olive oil
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green pepper
1 chopped stalk celery
2 minced cloves garlic
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire
½ tsp. thyme
1 tsp. basil
Salt, pepper and cayenne pepper if you want extra zing
28 oz. can chopped tomatoes in purée
1 cup shrimp or chicken stock, optional
6 shrimp per serving
Sauté the onion, pepper, celery and garlic in olive oil until they begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the herbs and seasonings and mix well. Cook another 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and optional stock and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.
Sauté six shrimp per person until just tender. Add sauce to the pan to heat through. Serve over lots of fluffy white rice. Make sure the rice shows. The contrast of the colors is great.
NEW ORLEANS BARBECUE SHRIMP
Debbie Whitley
4 sticks butter
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. Zatarain’s Big and Zesty Creole Seasoning Garlic and Herb
2 tsp. hot sauce of choice
4 cloves gloves garlic, smashed
1 Tbsp. cracked black pepper
Lemon juice from 1 lemon
2 lemons, sliced thin
Chopped green onions
5-6 lbs. of raw shrimp in shells
French bread for dipping into sauce, optional
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a saucepan mix butter, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, Zatarain’s, hot sauce and garlic.
Simmer for 15 minutes; set aside.
Arrange shrimp on a rimmed sheet pan in one layer. Pour sauce over shrimp and toss until well coated. Cover with cracked pepper, lemon juice and lay the lemon slices over the shrimp.
Bake, uncovered, until shrimp are cooked through, stirring once or twice. This will take approximately 20-30 minutes. Serve in the shells in a soup bowl with plenty of the sauce from the pan. Sprinkle with chopped green onions and serve with hot French bread for dipping in sauce.
SLOW COOKER RED BEANS AND RICE
Lenda Jo Connell
1 lb. bag small red beans
6 cups water
2 ham hocks
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large chopped onion
¼ cup chopped bell pepper
2 chopped garlic cloves
1 tsp. each salt, pepper, sugar
½ tsp. each oregano, thyme, sweet basil
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ cup parsley
1 bay leaf
Tabasco, to taste
1½ lb. sliced cooked sausage
Place all ingredients except sausage in crock pot. Cook 6 hours. Add sausage last 30 minutes of cooking time. Remove bay leaf. Serve over hot cooked rice. Serves eight to 10.
SLOW COOKER JAMBALAYA WITH CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE
Carole Perryman Smith
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, baked and cut into small, bite-size pieces
1 lb. Conecuh sausage, sliced into small discs, cooked
1 (28 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes with juice
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chicken broth
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried parsley
2 tsp. Cajun seasoning
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. dried thyme
In a slow cooker, mix the cooked chicken, cooked sausage, tomatoes with juice, onion, green bell pepper, celery and broth. Season with oregano, parsley, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper and thyme.
Cover and cook seven to eight hours on low, or three to four hours on high.
Serve over white rice. Serves 12.
CAFÉ AU LAIT
The famous breakfast drink in the French Quarter makes a fitting finale for a celebration reflecting the cuisine of the Big Easy.
5 cups strong black coffee
5 cups milk at the boiling point
Pour equal amounts of coffee and milk into cups.
BREAD PUDDING WITH CARAMEL SAUCE
¾ cup butter
1 ¾ cups heavy cream
2 ¼ cups milk
9 eggs
1 cup sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. vanilla
¾ loaf French bread
Caramel Sauce
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter, cream and milk in saucepan and heat almost to boiling point, stirring to blend well. Beat the eggs with sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Stir a small amount of heated milk into the egg mixture; then stir the egg mixture into the heated milk.
Cut bread into 1 ½ inch cubes and sprinkle into a lightly greased 9×13 inch baking pan. Pour the milk mixture over the bread, coating evenly. (Sometimes I let this sit about 15 minutes.)
Bake for 40 minutes or until center is puffed. Serve Caramel Sauce over pudding.
Caramel Sauce:
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
¼ cup water
2 Tbsp. butter
1 cup heavy cream
Combine sugar, lemon juice and water in a saucepan; mix well. Cook without stirring over medium high heat until amber in color.
Remove from heat and stir in butter carefully until melted. Stir in cream.
Cool to room temperature.
NEW ORLEANS BREAD PUDDING WITH BOURBON SAUCE
From the Bon Ton Café in New Orleans
Lenda Jo Connell
Bourbon Sauce:
½ cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 egg
¼ to ½ cup bourbon or to taste
In a saucepan, melt butter; add sugar and egg, whisking to blend well. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Whisk in bourbon to taste. Remove from heat. Whisk before serving. Don’t over heat or simmer. Sauce should be soft, creamy and smooth.
Bread Pudding:
1 loaf French bread, at least a day old, (cut into 1” squares, about 6-7 cups)
1 qt. milk
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups sugar
2 Tbsp. vanilla
¼ to ½ tsp. cinnamon
1 cup raisins (soaked overnight in ¼ cup bourbon)
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Soak bread in milk in large mixing bowl. Press with hands until well mixed and all milk is absorbed. In separate bowl, beat eggs, sugar, vanilla and spices together. Gently stir into bread mixture. Gently fold in raisins.
Pour butter into bottom of 9×13 inch baking pan. Coat bottom and sides of the pan well with butter. Pour in bread mixture; bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes or until set. Pudding is done when the edges start getting a bit brown and pull away from edge of pan.
Serve with bourbon sauce on the side or pour on to taste. Makes eight to 10 servings.
PRALINES
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. Karo white syrup
½ cup evaporated milk
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2 cups pecans
Combine first four ingredients and cook until softball stage. Remove from burner; add butter and vanilla. Beat mixture until thick; add 2 cups pecans. Drop by tablespoons onto wax paper. Let harden before serving.
KING CAKE
Kathy Hughes
2 tubes crescent rolls
1 ½ blocks (8 oz. size) cream cheese, softened
¼ cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. vanilla
Purple, green and gold sprinkles
Tiny plastic baby (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. I use a greased round baking stone. (Can use round pan.)
Carefully unfold crescent rolls and place in a circle, points toward the middle.
Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
Spoon mixture onto the crescent rolls, trying to get it mostly in the middle. Take tops and bottoms of crescent rolls and fold over mixture. Please note that the entire mixture may not be covered. Bake for about 20 minutes or until rolls are golden brown.
Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. milk
Combine sugar and milk. Carefully add more milk to get the desired consistency of the icing. You do not want it too thin.
After the cake cools completely, insert the baby and make sure it is hidden well. Then drizzle icing over cake. Finish by putting sprinkles on top.
Be sure to let guests know to look for the plastic baby.
