I want to learn how to say, “Butter me up” in French. I also want to figure out how to use vegan butter in my cooking and not have my pastries crumble apart. Next, I wonder if ditching butter during Lent is a sin when cooking New Orleans-style grub? Okay, so I won’t abandon butter in February, when I need to bring gras (fat) to any given Mardi (Tuesday). But then again, isn’t Mardi Gras just another party for parade-lovers to gorge on fattening food, get drunk on multi-colored drinks, and wear masks so they don’t know who they’re hooking up with between Hurricanes? Sounds fun to me. Whether you’re parading in New Orleans—or just around your kitchen—I rounded up recipes for a Fat Tuesday menu that might even include baby Jesus (in the form of drunkenly devoured King cake). But first, the drinks.
“Go-cup” Gulpers
- Fresh Tomato Bloody Mary: my Nawleans friend says she starts with these at 6:00 a.m. Oh, Lordie! (Whoops, I didn’t mean that in vain.)
- Danish Gin Fizz: don’t let the nationality in the name fool you, the Danes have just added more alcohol.
- Bourbon Slushy: this one adds black tea, which will keep you sipping that straw all day long.
- Hurricane: straight from the source: invest in the Hurricane glass and don’t forget the cherry on top.
“Call Out” Starters and Sides
- Shrimp de Jonge: ingredients including garlic butter, green onions, parmesan cheese, and whipping cream ensure you’ll get gras.
- Jalapeño Cheese Corn Muffins: my favorite line overheard one year at Jazzfest in Nawleans was a lady calling out, “Suga, y’all want some cawnbread with that?”
“Boeuf Gras” Entrees
- Andouille Jambalaya and Romesco Sauce: I wonder if this will taste equally good if I use seitan sausage.
- Charbroiled Shrimp Oyster Rumaki: sure, rumaki’s from Hawaii—but anything with barbeque sauce really has roots in the South.
- Shrimp Creole: as a world traveler, anything Creole (mixing French, Spanish, French-Caribbean, African, and American influences) is fine by me.
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