Recipes for Your Mardi Gras Party

Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, is celebrated 47 days before Easter which is the day before Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is when Lent begins, so beginning on January 6^th, Carnival begins, the time for parties and feasting before Lent.

Many people travel to New Orleans to enjoy the festivities of Mardi Gras season, but if you aren't able to make it over to New Orleans you can still enjoy the tasty southern dishes of the south by having your own Mardi Gras party.

The first dish you must make for a Mardi Gras party is the Kings Cake. The Kings Cake is not simply a tradition for Mardi Gras parties, it is a part of history. The Kings Cake is named for the three wise men who visited Jesus upon his birth. This event is referred to as Little Christmas on the Twelfth Night or Feast of the Epiphany. January 6^th is the twelfth day after Christmas and also the day Mardi Gras season begins.

Twelfth Night celebrations are still celebrated everywhere in the world, not just the United States. So, because the Mardi Gras season begins on Little Christmas the Kings Cake has become a part of the Mardi Gras celebration as well.

The Kings Cake has evolved a bit over the years. It used to be a simple ring of dough with a few decorations on top. After baking, a small "baby" is placed inside the cake. Whoever gets the piece of cake with the baby in it is supposed to bring the Kings Cake to the next party. Sometimes people deem the person who gets the baby as king or queen of the party.

Now days, the Kings Cake is a bit more elaborate. The dough is either cinnamon or a danish type dough and it's normally braided. The décor of the Kings Cake can range from minimal to very festive.

You can find a great recipe for Kings Cake here.

Another great dish for a Mardi Gras party is this recipe for Shrimp and Chicken Etouffee. This is a good one because it serves a lot of people and it's easy to set out for buffet style serving.

Also, this recipe for Gumbo is another tasty one to serve at parties. Or, if you would like to serve some appetizers, try the Cajun Fried Okra recipe. Fried chicken is another good southern dish that goes over well at Mardi Gras parties, try this recipe for Cajun Fried Chicken.

For must do desserts for your Mardi Gras party, try this recipe for French Quarter Beignets. Beignets are another signature food for New Orleans, so they are sure to be a hit at your Mardi Gras Party.

For drinks there are both alcoholic and non alcoholic versions of the New Orleans signature drinks like the Hurricane or the Hand Grenade.

Have a wonderful Mardi Gras party and enjoy the tasty spice of the south.

Sources:

http://www.mardigrasday.com/mardigras/kcrecip.php

http://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/kingcakes.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/shrimp-and-chicken-etouffee-recipe/index.html

http://www.realcajunrecipes.com/recipes/cajun/deep-fried-chicken/548.rcr

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/cajun-fried-okra-recipe/index.html

http://southernfood.about.com/cs/gumborecipes/a/gumbo.htm

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/french-quarter-beignets-recipe/index.html