Guide to Mardi Gras Cuisine

It's Mardi Gras time in New Orleans! The big carnival held in Louisiana that culminates in Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras) is an incredibly festive event that draws hundreds of thousands of people to the city for the parades, partying, and last but certainly not least -- the FOOD!. A great deal of the Mardi Gras spirit has to do with the the amazingly flavorful food. If you're headed down to "The Big Easy" for the festival, but you have only a sketchy knowledge base about the local food, here's a lesson about some of the more popular Cajun and creole cuisine.

Etouffee

Etouffee is a lot like gumbo, but I actually prefer it to gumbo. Etouffee is a Creole dish that is usually served with either shrimp, crawfish, crab, chicken, or any combination thereof. It is drowned in a in a light brown colored roux and poured over white rice. Roux is the base for many Creole and Cajun gravies and sauces; its color ranges from light to very dark - the darker the roux, the more intense the flavor.

Jambalaya

Jambalaya is a delicious sort of Louisiana Creole version of paella. It is made with rice, vegetables, chicken and andouille sausage - it can be made with smoked sausage, but andouille makes this dish pop!

Muffuletta

Muffuletta is actually an Italian creation that is intensely popular in New Orleans. It is a giant sandwich made with Muffuletta bread. The bread is slathered and marinated with an olive salad and layered with salami, capicola, mortadella, swiss and provolone cheese. It is reminiscent of foccacia, but with ten times the flavor!

Po Boy

This is the ultimate sub! The Po Boy is Louisiana cuisine all the way. The sandwich is made with seafood piled high on a warm and toasty French baguette. The traditional Po Boys consist of fried shrimp and oysters. You can have a choice of a plain po boy or you can have it "dressed" (served with lettuce, tomato, pickles, mayo, onions, or fresh raw cabbage). Some varieties are made with soft shell crabs (my favorite--this is overwhelmingly delicious!), or crawfish. There is even a version made with roast beef.

Oysters Rockefeller

Imagine cooked oysters steeped in a luscious sauce of olive oil, butter, herbs, green onions, a dash of hot sauce, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, and chopped spinach to give it that unique green color. I love to eat this with crusty French bread for sauce dipping.

Red Beans & Rice

Nothing could be more simple.....yet so delicious! Here you have kidney beans (red beans), simmered in stock with vegetables (the Louisiana Holy Trinity: chopped celery, onions, & peppers), spices, and pork bones served over rice.

Dirty Rice

Dirty Rice is usually more of an accompaniment to another dish. It is white rice, chicken gizzards (don't knock it 'til you try it), chicken livers, spices, and the oft used Holy Trinity.

Bread Pudding

Ohmigoodness! This stuff is so good. My Grandma Jessie used to make this for me all of the time. It is made with bread (stale bread -- don't worry, it's fabulous!) soaked overnight in eggs and milk, then white sugar, raisins, pineapple bits, cinnamon, rum, and vanilla extract are added. It is then baked and when done it is drizzled with either a bourbon or caramel sauce. It can also be refrigerated and cut into squares. I saw Giada DeLaurentiis make an Italian version of bread pudding that looked really good. I replicated her recipe and it was simply divine!

Beignet

Think of a triangular shaped, warm, fried doughnut dusted with lots of powdered sugar...That's a beignet. Beignet's are traditional Louisiana breakfast fare and are often served with cafe au lait - another Big Easy favorite. I'm not really a big fan of sweets but I can eat a dozen of these.

Bananas Foster

Bananas Foster is usually served at a dinner table and presented flambe (set ablaze - safely...I hope). It is rather simple and made with bananas, vanilla ice cream, and a delicious sauce made with butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, banana liqueur, and rum. It doesn't get any better than this.

So, hopefully you now have a better understanding of some of New Orleans' most popular dishes. There are many, many more Cajun and Creole dishes to delight your palette, there is no way that I could include them all. I tried to touch on some of the ones that you'll undoubtedly run into most anywhere in the city. I hope you have a safe and fun trip! Please be sure to let me know what you thought of any of these dishes if you get a chance to try them for the first time. Peace.