Just Cook It!: Next holiday: Mardi Gras
I talk a lot about holidays in my columns and on my shows. I guess the reason is because I like to celebrate. If you feel like you’ve had enough of the holidays, since we just got through the major holiday season at the end of last year, I understand.
The thing is, we have another major holiday right on the horizon to celebrate. The holiday that is drawing near is one that I very much look forward to – Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday. Fat Tuesday is a holiday that I loved as a child. The food on Fat Tuesday is really what is embedded in my memory.
I went to a Catholic school and every year the local Rotary would hold a Shrove Tuesday dinner, which consisted of copious amounts of fresh made pancakes and sausage links, in the school cafeteria. The best part was that the same pancake and sausage feast was served to us as our school lunch. I loved it, looked forward to it, and still look forward to a belly full of pancakes and sausage on Fat Tuesday.
If you prefer to stay in and indulge by preparing your own pancake party, you can get my pancake recipe, which appeared in last week’s 蘑菇视频 at HeraldStandard.com.
Mardi Gras began as a Catholic tradition, but today is celebrated by people of many religious backgrounds much like Christmas and Easter. Mardi Gras is a celebration of eating rich fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, so Mardi Gras is always the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.
Sometimes the terms Mardi Gras and Carnival are used interchangeably, but they are not exactly the same thing. Carnival is the period of indulgence and fun that begins on Jan. 6 (The Feast of the Epiphany). Mardi Gras refers specifically to Fat Tuesday, which, as stated above, is the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.
Before we start talking about three of my favorite Mardi Gras foods, I would just like to mention that if you have had enough of the holidays (as mentioned above) you have Lent to look forward to.
Not only are there not many celebrations during Lent, but we also get to fast and abstain from eating meat on Fridays. Even if you don’t follow those guidelines it’s still relevant because of the way restaurant menus change and such. I just wanted to point that out to make sure I give everyone something to look forward to.
Aside from pancakes and sausage, another food I look forward to enjoying on Mardi Gras is a big muffuletta. A muffuletta is both a type of round Sicilian sesame bread and a popular submarine-style sandwich. The sandwich was actually named after the bread and was created by Italian immigrants in New Orleans, La.
A muffuletta loaf is a large round loaf of bread that measures about 10 inches across. Today it is possible to find bakeries that make the loaf in different sizes, although the sandwich is traditionally very large and hearty. The outside of the muffuletta loaf is very crusty while the inside is very soft. It is similar to French bread, but a bit heavier.
A traditional muffuletta sandwich consists of the muffuletta loaf split horizontally and covered with layers of marinated olive salad, mortadella, salami, mozzarella, ham, and provolone. The sandwich can be enjoyed either warm, to lightly melt the provolone, or cold. Either way it is simply a very filling and delicious sandwich.
Another one of my favorite Mardi Gras treats are paczeki. Don’t let the odd looking word fool you, I’m sure you’ve enjoyed a paczek more than a couple of times. Paczeki are deep fried pieces of dough that are shaped into flattened spheres and filled with fruit preserves or another sweet filling. They are usually covered with powdered sugar, icing, or bits of dried orange zest.
The word paczek is actually sometimes translated to doughnut. Paczeki have become popular in the United States as a result of Polish immigrants and also from the marketing efforts of bakeries.
In some communities with a heavy Polish population Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras can actually be referred to as Paczeki Day. The Paczeki Day celebrations in some areas are even larger than many celebrations for St. Patrick’s Day.
Finally, no Mardi Gras conversation can be complete without mentioning King Cake. King Cake is a type of cake associated in a number of countries with the festival of Epiphany and in other places with the pre-Lenten celebrations of Mardi Gras/Carnival.
King Cakes normally have a small plastic baby hidden inside them. When the cake is cut and served to guests, the guest who finds the baby or trinket in their slice of cake has various privileges and obligations.
Originally, King Cakes were very simple. The cakes were made from a ring of dough, which was baked and then decorated very simply. Today, however, they are made from very rich Danish dough, which is braided before being baked. The plastic baby or trinket is then inserted into the dough after baking and the King Cake is covered with sugar toppings. The sugar toppings are normally in the traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple, green, and gold.
As you can see, I am very much looking forward to celebrating Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday or whatever you prefer to call the day of feasting and indulgence before Ash Wednesday.
I hope this column has opened your eyes to some new and delicious experiences to try this year. However you are planning to celebrate Mardi Gras, it’s always more fun when you – Just Cook It!
Mario J. Porreca of Belle Vernon is a food personality, author, and the host of Just Cook It on WMBS Radio 590 AM. His website is www.JustCookIt.net. Twitter: @MarioPorreca