Come to the Mardi Gras...
So I had a Mardi Gras party last week that went well--we had real hurricanes with Pat O'Brien's mix (they do not taste the same if you make them from scratch--you need that Red Dye No. 7 chemical high), shrimp gumbo, two kinds of red beans and rice (spicy vegetarian and with sausage), Cajun dip and homemade King Cake. This year for the King Cake I used Pillsbury crescent rolls which didn't work quite as well as the pizza dough I used last year--the cake was splitting apart a little bit. But I added extra butter in the filling, plus some strawberry jam, and that made it very rich.
I was a little flustered because about 5 people came right at 8:00 (when the invitation said the party started)--I'm used to people being as slackjaw late as I usually am! I really apologize for seeming overwhelmed and not being better prepared--next year I'm just going to take off my evening assignment so I can be ready and IN costume when the guests arrive! Elizabeth helped out enormously by making hurricanes and putting out crackers and whatnot. I was still stuck in the kitchen heating up gumbo and red beans and rice--I'd made most of the food the night before but then I had to pop it back into the microwave. And bake the King Cake--again, I'd put everything together that afternoon, but it tastes best if it's fresh as possible. Otherwise I could just order it from Gambino's!
My Mardi Gras playlist playing on my laptop (Elizabeth lent me her speakers) and I put on The Big Easy at some point. *Love* that movie--it's hard to believe the original script was actually supposed to take place in Chicago, because the movie feels inextricably grounded in New Orleans. I mean, everything--the music, the accents (most of them), the theme of charming corruption...One of my favorite characters is Remy's defense lawyer, with his charmingly opaque remarks: "New Orleans is a marvelous environment for coincidence." His accent sounds so authentic, I was shocked to find out it was actually Charles Ludlum--born and raised in New York--who plays him.
Beads and geaux cups were also handed out--I meant for people to take them home as souvenirs but completely forgot as people were leaving, probably because I had several hurricanes in me at that point. Um, if anyone wants some Mardi Gras souvenirs, let me know...And a contest for the best costume--a lot of people dressed up a little with some makeup or a mask, but Elana and Tesse actually had ensembles. Tesse ended up winning the prize, special flashing baby pacifier beads. I also put out an envelope for contributions to Tipitina's Foundation--Tipitina's is a New Orleans institution, a restaurant/club on Tchoupitoulas (hey, my mama and daddy used to live on that street!). It's also where Anne and Remy eat the first time they go out in The Big Easy. The envelope was in the bathroom so no one would feel pressured to give. At the end of the night we had $25 in loose cash at the end of the evening, and then the next day several people said they'd forgotten to give. Ultimately we ended up with $95! I sent the check off to Tipitina's today. So happy! Anything that helps my beloved city get back on its feet.
I was a little flustered because about 5 people came right at 8:00 (when the invitation said the party started)--I'm used to people being as slackjaw late as I usually am! I really apologize for seeming overwhelmed and not being better prepared--next year I'm just going to take off my evening assignment so I can be ready and IN costume when the guests arrive! Elizabeth helped out enormously by making hurricanes and putting out crackers and whatnot. I was still stuck in the kitchen heating up gumbo and red beans and rice--I'd made most of the food the night before but then I had to pop it back into the microwave. And bake the King Cake--again, I'd put everything together that afternoon, but it tastes best if it's fresh as possible. Otherwise I could just order it from Gambino's!
My Mardi Gras playlist playing on my laptop (Elizabeth lent me her speakers) and I put on The Big Easy at some point. *Love* that movie--it's hard to believe the original script was actually supposed to take place in Chicago, because the movie feels inextricably grounded in New Orleans. I mean, everything--the music, the accents (most of them), the theme of charming corruption...One of my favorite characters is Remy's defense lawyer, with his charmingly opaque remarks: "New Orleans is a marvelous environment for coincidence." His accent sounds so authentic, I was shocked to find out it was actually Charles Ludlum--born and raised in New York--who plays him.
Beads and geaux cups were also handed out--I meant for people to take them home as souvenirs but completely forgot as people were leaving, probably because I had several hurricanes in me at that point. Um, if anyone wants some Mardi Gras souvenirs, let me know...And a contest for the best costume--a lot of people dressed up a little with some makeup or a mask, but Elana and Tesse actually had ensembles. Tesse ended up winning the prize, special flashing baby pacifier beads. I also put out an envelope for contributions to Tipitina's Foundation--Tipitina's is a New Orleans institution, a restaurant/club on Tchoupitoulas (hey, my mama and daddy used to live on that street!). It's also where Anne and Remy eat the first time they go out in The Big Easy. The envelope was in the bathroom so no one would feel pressured to give. At the end of the night we had $25 in loose cash at the end of the evening, and then the next day several people said they'd forgotten to give. Ultimately we ended up with $95! I sent the check off to Tipitina's today. So happy! Anything that helps my beloved city get back on its feet.