Who is Mardi Gras Party

"Mardi Gras" is French for "Fat Tuesday", the day before Ash Wednesday and the end of the Carnival season. Mostly associated with Roman Catholicism, celebrations are held world-wide. Mostly famously the largest celebrations take place in Brazil, Italy, Alabama, and New Orleans, LA.

Basically it's one gigantic party before the somber season of Lent. Most people know it through the gigantic parades and drunken parties in the heart of the French Quarter of New Orleans. Liquor flows freely and beads are thrown by the handful.

So why not have your own Mardi Gars party at home?

Said to have been chosen by Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff Alexandrovitch and their symbolism designated by the Rex Parade, there are three traditional colors of Mardi Gras:

Purple represents Justice
Green represents Faith
Gold represents Power

There's lots and lots to eat and drink at Mardi Gras parties! Try searching for recipes for Cajun boiled shrimp, Jambalaya and Gumbo, and other Cajun and Creole dishes!

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Cajun Jambalaya Recipe
2 lb Sausage cut 1/4 in. thick
1 lb Boneless chicken
1 1/2 lg Onions
1 Bell pepper
4 Cloves garlic
5 c Water
3 tb Salt
1/2 ts Cayenne pepper
3 Bay leaves
6 oz Tomato paste
1 lb Peeled shrimp
3 c Raw rice

Sauté sausage, chicken, onions, bell pepper and garlic until sausage and chicken are browned. Add the water, salt, cayenne, bay leaf and tomato paste. Bring to a boil with the lid on. When water boils add the shrimp and the raw rice. Stir and lower fire. Let rice simmer, stirring every five minutes until jambalaya rice is cooked.

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Baked Catfish Recipe
1 med sized catfish (about 1/2 lb per person)
Creole-type seasoning
1/16 lb margarine per person
1 garlic clove, minced
Lemon pepper and parsley flakes
Season fish well with Creole seasoning.

Melt margarine with garlic. Lay fish in shallow pan. Pour margarine over fish. Sprinkle with lemon pepper and parsley flakes. Bake at 350F for about 45 minutes, basting at least once.

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Boiled Crawfish Recipe
3 lemons, sectioned
3 onions, sectioned
2 cups rock salt
3 tablespoons red pepper
1 medium jar prepared mustard
2 bags dry crab boil nix
30 pounds live crawfish
2 cans beer
Table salt
New potatoes
Corn on cob

Place 30-quart pot filled with water over high heat. Add lemons, onions, rock salt, red pepper and mustard. Add crab boil. Mix, breaking bags and boil 10 minutes. Add crawfish, corn and new potatoes. Return to boil 7 minutes, adding beer the last 2 minutes. Cover pot. Turn off heat and allow to simmer 3 minutes. Remove crawfish and apply table salt before peeling. Heap crawfish, corn and potatoes on platter.

Purple, Yellow and Green Deluxe Party Kit


Mardi Gras Deluxe Party Kit


Mardi Gras Celebration Deluxe Party Kit

If your party is more adult-oriented, don't forget the drinks! Traditional Hurricanes in plastic glasses are a must!

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Hurricane Recipe
2 ounces amber rum
1/4 cup passion fruit juice, or 1 tablespoon passion fruit syrup
1 teaspoon superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon grenadine
Juice of 1/2 lime
Cherries and orange slice to garnish
Ice cubes

In a cocktail shaker mix the rum, passion fruit juice and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Add the grenadine, and lemon juice and stir to combine. Add the ice cubes and shake. Strain Hurricane into a cocktail glass. Garnish with orange and cherries.

Square-Shaped Beads


Giant Mardi Gras Beads


Metallic Beads

King Cakes are a traditional part of Mardi Gras. The pastry is decorated in icing with colored sugar in traditional colors. Hidden inside is sometimes a gold foil-wrapped chocolate coin, a bean, or sometimes a plastic baby to represent baby Jesus. Who ever gets the slice with the trinket is King or Queen for the day and has to buy the next King Cake.

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King Cake Recipe
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 package active dry yeast
1 egg
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon salt
A plastic doll, 1-inch high
3 1/2 to 4 cups bread flour, divided
Dried bean or pecan half
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces
Frosting (recipe follows)
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon peel

Heat 1/2 cup milk until warm (105 to 115 degrees F).

In a large mixer bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Stir in sugar and salt and mix well. Let stand a few minutes, or until bubbly. Add 2 cups of the bread flour, the butter, beaten eggs, lemon peel and nutmeg. With an electric mixer, beat on slow speed until all ingredients are moistened. Beat 3 minutes on medium speed. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough until smooth and elastic, adding more bread flour if needed, about 5 minutes. Place dough in well-buttered bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place (80 to 85 degrees F) about 1 1/2 hours, or until dough doubles in volume.

Punch down dough several times to remove air bubbles. Shape into a rope 24 inches long and place on a buttered baking sheet. Pinch the ends together to form a ring. Cover dough with a cloth and let is rise in a warm place until it again doubles in volume, about 1 1/4 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk together the remaining egg and 1 tablespoon milk; gently brush over the top of the dough. Bake 22 to 27 minutes or until golden and cake sounds hollow when lightly tapped. Remove from baking sheet and cool completely on a wire rack. Once the cake is cool, press the doll, dried bean or nut gently into the bottom of the cake so that it is hidden.

Frosting
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
Yellow, green and purple decorating sugars

Combine confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon milk. Stir with a wire whisk until smooth. If icing is too thick, stir in another 1 tablespoon of milk. Spoon icing over top of ring, allowing it to run down the sides. Sprinkle with colored sugar, creating rows of each color about 1 1/2 inches wide. Repeat all around the ring.

Makes 14 servings.