Green Gold Mardi

Green Gold Mardi

Let The Good Times Roll – At Mardi Gras

One of the great things about cultural celebrations is that it gives all of us a chance to experience a taste of another region's history, traditions and cuisines.  This adds to the richness of our lives and broadens us culturally.  And when you add in a fun festival, you have a winning combination.  So let's take a look at Mardi Gras and Let The Good Times Roll!

History of Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras has its roots in religion, with the practice of eating rich foods on Fat Tuesday, before fasting the next day on Ash Wednesday, which starts the Lenten season.  Mardi Gras has grown from a single day to a several week celebration.  In New Orleans, the Mardi Gras parades started this year on February 19 and will conclude on Fat Tuesday, March 8.  Mardi Gras is also known as Carnival and is celebrated around the world.  The best known is Rio de Janeiro's Carnival.  Other famous Carnivals include celebrations in Mexico's Mazatlan, Sydney Australia and Quebec City Canada.

When we think of the annual Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans, we have striking images of ornate parade floats, colorful costumes, lively jazz music, spicy Cajun cuisine and strands of colorful beads tossed to raucous crowds.  It is without question one of the biggest parties in the U.S.  The traditional Mardi Gras colors are purple which symbolizes justice, green which represents faith and gold which stands for power.

Creole and Cajun Cuisine

Creole cooking has an aristocratic background, with French and Spanish influences that create upscale dishes.  Red Jambalaya is a traditional Creole dish.  Cajun cooking is simple, country style cooking, creating dishes from local ingredients.  The centerpieces of Cajun cooking are black cooking pots, used to cook the main dishes, rice and vegetables.  Cajun cooking centers around the "Holy Trinity", comprised of 50% chopped onions, 25% diced bell peppers and 25% diced celery, seasoned with parsley, bay leaf, green onions and cayenne pepper. 

Some of the popular Louisiana dishes include Jambalaya, Gumbo and Etouffee.  All include meat or seafood, vegetables and rice.  Creole or Red Jambalaya includes tomatoes and mixes rice directly into the dish.  Gumbo does not include tomatoes and the meat and vegetable mixture is spooned on top of a bed of rice.  Etouffee means "smothered" and is a creamy mixture with crawfish or shrimp also spooned over a bed of rice. 

Food and Wine Pairings

Beer is popular in Louisiana.  A general rule is to pair a heavier style beer with a heavy dish, like Jambalaya.  Spicy food can affect your palate, not allowing you to enjoy subtle flavor pairings between your beverage and food.  A couple of possible beer pairings to try include Dry Stouts and Porters with hearty stews, Pilsners with spicy shellfish dishes and IPAs with spicy beef/chicken/shellfish dishes.  If your recipe calls for beer as an ingredient, plan to use the same beer you plan to drink with the meal.

With Creole or Red Jambalaya's spicy tomato sauce base, a red Zinfandel or Syrah are good wine pairing choices.  Their jammy fruit character works well with spicy food and compliments tomato sauce.  With Gumbo and Etouffee, a Riesling can balance the creaminess and spice levels of these dishes.

My Chef Catering's Etouffee Sauce

This is a popular recipe on My Chef's Mardi Gras Menu and serves four people as an appetizer.  Either raw shrimp or cooked meatballs are added to this sauce.

Ingredients for sauce:

1/3       cup       butter

1/4       cup       all-purpose flour

1          ea         small green pepper diced

1          ea         medium Spanish onion diced

2          ea         stalks celery diced

2          ea         cloves fresh garlic minced

2          ea         medium plum tomatoes chopped

2          Tbsp    Louisiana Hot Sauce

1/4       tsp        cayenne pepper (optional)

1/2       Tbsp    seafood seasoning – like Old Bay's

1/2       tsp        ground black pepper

1          cup       fish stock or clam juice

1/2       lb         Raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

or

16        ½ oz     Cocktail meatballs, cooked

 

Melt butter over medium heat in a skillet.  Add flour gradually and stir constantly until incorporated.  Cook until light brown.  Add onions, garlic, celery and bell pepper to the skillet.  Sauté vegetables until softened but not browned.  Stir in tomatoes and fish stock or clam juice.  Add seafood seasoning.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add hot sauce and cayenne pepper.  Add raw shrimp and cook just until shrimp turns pink.  If adding cooked meatballs, simmer for 5 minutes or until meatballs are hot.

Bill's Beverage Pick's – with suggested retail prices

Mardi Gras Beers:

Big Easy Imperial Maibock – drier style                                               

Dixie Blackened Voodo Lager – black color, light flavors                     

Rogue Dead Guy Ale – light color, hoppy, balanced                             

Hop Devil IPA – dark color, fruit notes, hop fragrance             

 

Mardi Gras Domestic Wines:

Columbia Crest Two Vines Riesling – 88 pts. Wine Spectator              

Hogue Riesling – 89 pts. Wine Spectator                                                         

Ch Ste. Michelle Riesling Cold Creek Vineyard – 88 pts. Wine Spec.  

Foxglove Zinfandel – 89 pts. R. Parker                                                          

Artezin Zinfandel – 87 pts. Wine Spectator                                                    

Bogle Phantom Syrah – Not Yet Rated (past vintages 88 – 89 pts.)     

 

Wine of the Month:

Milbrandt Riesling Columbia Valley, WA 

Rieslings are a nice pairing with creamy, spicy Cajun cuisine. The Wine Spectator rated the current 2008 vintage 90 pts. and said "This tangy, jazzy style delivers plenty of ripe apple, pear, peach and floral flavors on a mostly dry, open-weave frame. Drink now. 4088 cases made." This will compliment spicy gumbo and etoufee dishes. Enjoy!

About the Author

• My Chef CateringMay 1988 - Present Founder/President Naperville, Illinois With my wife, founded My Chef Catering in Naperville in 1989. Initially a gourmet deli and catering business, the business evolved into one of the largest full-service catering companies in the western suburbs.

  We are very community minded and donate up to 2% of annual sales to charity. Karen and I Chair several of the larger fundraisers in the area, to help people in need.

  We have been very blessed to receive community recognition for our involvement, including the Naperville's and Aurora's Overall SBYA and the 2007 U.S. Chamber's Small Business of the Year award.

• I have been a wine enthusiast for over 25 years and passed the Level 1 Master Sommelier course in 2004.  I pair food and wine for My Chef Catering's customers.
• I have been a very active member of The Rotary Club of Naperville for the past 18 years. My Chef Catering provided the food for Naperville's annual Oktoberfest and we currently Chair Soup's On!, a fundraiser to benefit 3 local food pantries and shelters. I was the Rotary club President in 2008-2009.

  I have just become a member of the Board of Directors for Lovaes & Fishes in Naperville. This will allow me to share my food knowledge and contacts with this essential organization.

           Prior to this, I was a Brand Manager for several Fortune 100 food companies,    including Borden Foods and Jacobs Suchard Swiss chocolate and coffee company.

College

• Boston University Arts and Sciences Philosophy Business

High School

• Boardman High School '70
• Pearl River High School '70

Easy-King-Cake-Recipe-Video

Decor Paper-mache Ornate Long Noses Masquerade Mask - Dark Green w/ Gold $21.45 This luxurious mask is made to be worn all night showing elegance and richness in a beautiful design. Charming old world design and sturdy American craftsmanship are exhibited in this vintage inspired collection. great addition to any living room setting The wall mask creates a modern comfortable environment within any home...

Cake and Cupcake Tinsel Picks Purple, Green, Gold / 6 pcs $2.59 ...

Mardi Gras Fleur de lis Purple Gold Green Garden Flag $12.69 The Garden size flag is made from a 100% polyester material. Two pieces of material have been sewn together to form a double sided flag. This allows the text and image to be seen the same from both sides. This flag is fade resistant and weather proof. The flag measures approximately 11 inches x 15 inches (garden stand sold separately)...

St Patrick's Day Irish Green, White & Gold Plastic Tablecloth 54 x 108 $4.29 The Beistle Company is the oldest and largest manufacturer of decorations and party goods. With unsurpassed service and top quality products its easy to understand why The Beistle Company is world renowned in the Party Goods Industry. Our decorations and party goods are manufactured from the finest and highest quality raw materials. This combined with unsurpassed skilled craftsmanship creates the ...

Mardi Gras Fanci-Fetti Masks gold, green, purple (1 Oz/Pkg) Pkg/1 $2.29 The wild and Crazy Mardi Gras Fun Starts with Decorations! Start your Mardi Gras party off with a bang! and make your guests feel like they are in The Big Easy! Get the real feel of Bourbon Street. Made of a metallic material shaped like Mardi Gras Masks. Use to decorate your table or use as a craft. Decorate your Mardi Gras table with a handful of Fanci-Fetti Masks. Simply sprinkle these confett...

Mardi Gras 1-Ply Gleam 'N Curtain 8ft. x 3ft. Gold, Green, Purple Pkg/1 $9.49 The wild and Crazy Mardi Gras Fun Starts with Decorations! Start your Mardi Gras party off with a bang! and make your guests feel like they are in The Big Easy! Contains: (1) Mardi Gras 1-Ply FR Gleam 'N Curtain 8ft. x 3ft. Gold, Green, Purple...

Leg Warmers by KD dance, Double as Arm Warmers, Text, Type, Cell Phone Glove, Ribbed Stretch Knit, Ruffled Top, Fashionable, No Itch, Soft, Cozy High End Leg Warmers, Made In New York City USA Professional dancers demand high quality durable clothing, which is why KD dance leg warmers are built to last & snap back to new like condition wash after wash & stay true to color.Ruffled top or bottom depending on how you like to wear them, KD dance Leg Warmers are soft, stretchy, warm & always in style. ÊMix & match, wear them as arm warmers, under boots or over jeans, there are countless loo...

Camo Glamo Army Girl Costume $60.00 Get a very military look in this spectacular camouflage print "uniform". Complete with ribbon bar, embroidered ARMY patch and red piping all around that makes every detail stand out. A cute little self ruffle at the bottom of the brass-buttoned dress turns it a little "girly girl", just for fun. A webbed belt and a hat embellished with gold embroidered stars are included in this 3 pc. costume. See...

Forum Novelties Bucket of Mardi Gras Multicolor Beads 72 Pieces $12.19 7mm 33in. Metallic Round Beads. (72) Multi Color Assortment. Collect and Trade them for Hugs and Kisses. A Great Mardi Gras and Halloween Costume Item!...

33 inch 07mm Round Metallic Purple Gold and Green Mardi Gras Beads - 6 Dozen (72 necklaces) $5.99 Mardi Gras beads that have a multitude of uses. To gain access for paid events, to add sparkle and color for your school team events or corporate functions, great for home parties to add that little something to your party theme. 33" of 7mm thick beads of continuous color made of bright, shinny durable plastic.--33 inch 07mm Round Metallic Purple Gold and Green Mardi Gras Beads - 6 Dozen (72 nec...

Spiked Hat For Mardi Gras $4.96 Features a purple green and gold velour Mardi Grasspiked hat.

Mardi Gras Beads Glasses $12.99 Do New Orleans proud and party like a pro in these purple, green or gold Mardi Gras Beads

Mardi Gras Beads by the Dozen $3.99 Purple, green and gold mean Mardi Gras - grabs some beads and go - it's party

Deluxe Sequin Mask With Feathers For Mardi Gras $13.96 Features a purple green and gold Sequin Mardi GrasMask with large feathers.

Mardi Gras Mask 010A: Venetian Green Velvet $9.99 Green velvet masculine style Venetian half mask with gold trim. Perfect male Mardi Gras Mask for Carnivale or a Masquerade theme party.

Mardi Gras Adult Cape $24.99 Gold, purple and green is all you need for mardi gras! Put all three on with this tie up cape! One size fits most

Mardi Gras Mask MG077: Farfallina Mardi Gras Female $69.99 Beautiful purple, green and gold female style Mask is perfect for any Mardi Gras celebration.

Mardi Gras Halloween Costume - Mardi Gras Jester $49.95 Be a fool for Mardi Gras! Surely you jest, right? Well, actually, yeah! That's exactly what we have in mind with the Mardi Gras Jester Mardi Gras Halloween Costume! Our Mardi Gras Jester Mardi Gras Halloween Costume comes with a gorgeous mini-dress in full Mardi Gras colors! The puff sleeves, one yellow and one green, attach to a satin purple bodice, with checkerboard print insert and gold sequined trim! The hem is a zig zag cut exposing the black petticoat beneath! This comes with see-through purple cuffs and a purple collar with gold trimmed frill! There's even a purple jester's hat with a center black plume! You'll be ready to party hearty in this sexy number, which is perfect, because life is a party and you are it's jester queen!

**mardi Gras Comedy And Tragedy Glasses $8.96 Features glasses in the traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple green and gold. One eye is the mask of comedy the second is the mask of tragedy.

Purple, Green And Gold Half Mask For Mardi Gras $7.96 Features a purple half mask with green and gold trim.

purple, Green And Gold Half Mask For Mardi Gras $7.97 Features a purple half mask with green and gold trim.

Mardi Gras Mambo Hat $29.99 Go crazy and dance the night away this Mardi Gras in this holiday Mambo hat! This funny hat comes in plush purple with gold and green trim, perfect for parades, masquerades, and

Mardi Gras Glitter Top Hat $2.99 Step into Mardi Gras style with this sparkling top hat! With gold, green and purple glitter stripes, this funny hat screams Fat Tuesday

Mardi Gras Mask 010A: Venetian Green Velvet With Feathers $12.5 Green, Purple, and gold, feminine style Venetian half mask with attached feathers. Perfect female Mardi Gras Mask for Carnivale or a Masquerade theme party.

Mardi Gras Mask 010B: Jester Full Face $24.99 Beautiful full face jester mask in traditional purple, green and gold Mardi Gras colors.

Mardi Gras Mask 010A: Venetian Male $12.5 This purple, gold, green and white Venetian half mask is a perfect male mask for Mardi Gras.

Mardi Gras Miss Adult Halloween Costume $39.89 Includes dress in traditional Mardi Gras colors of Purple, Green and Gold/Yellow, collar, belt, and pair of gloves. Mask not included.

Adult Mardi Gras Jester $47.96 You might be asked to perform in this Mardi Gras Jester Costume. You'll be more than up for it! Thisfun & colorful costume is made up of Mardi Gras c olorsâ€purple, green, & gold. You will be dressed in a soft tunic & pants, jester's hat & shoe tops. Gloves not included. Now all you need are some tricks up your sleeve!

Tri-Color Mardi Gras Jester Mask $9.98 Purple, green and gold are the traditional colors of the Mardi Gras Carnival! Perfect for any costume party or Mardi Gras celebration, this festive sequin half mask will transport you right to the

Light Up Pimp Hat For Mardi Gras $5.96 Features a purple light up pimp hat with Mardi Gr as printed in gold across a green velvet band. Ha t is trimmed with purple and white marabou.

Mardi Gras Marabou Fan $6.46 Features a fan made of purple green and gold marabou.

Mardi Gras Madness Costume $28.96 This festive & versatile dress can be worn to any costume or theme event. Wear it to a Mardi-Gras celebration, Carnival, or just a plain fun party. This long green & purple dress is trimmed in shimmery gold fabric & has tattered seams, three-quarter sleeves & a dramatically jagged collar. One size accommodates most up to size 12/14.

Mardi Gras Clings $2.61 Includes 6 Mardi Gras Clings on one sheet with colorful purple gold and green jesters, crowns and masks. Cling uses static to adhere to most nonporous surfaces, such as windows and mirrors, without using tape or adhesive. Easy to use. Reusable. TO USE: Clean surface with a damp cloth, Remove pre-cut Cling from backing, Apply non-printed side to damp surface, Press and smooth from center of Cling.