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Feb 22, 2017 By Joe Carei for The 5 min read

Mardi Gras brings visions of two things, parades and food. Ok, there are some other things, but this is a family newspaper. And food, is where I come in.

A few years ago, my wife, Stacy and I had the pleasure of visiting New Orleans a week before Mardi Gras. My cousin, Joe Toomy, a congressman from Jefferson Parish, treated us to a culinary tour of his city. We not only got to experience a little Mardi Gras before it happened, but we also got to taste it.

Although we did not see the parade, we got to see a few floats before they were launched. Joe brought us to a couple of Krewe Headquarters. Krewes are the groups that put together floats for Mardi Gras. Some have been part of the celebration for over 100 years.

But more grandiose than the floats, was the food. Cousin Joe took us to a parade of restaurants to try Gumbo, etouffee, po-boys, jambalaya and beignets. We visited iconic restaurants and local secrets like Commanders palace, Coop’s Place, Pascal Manales, Camillia’s Grill and Restaurant August. Those were just the tip of the iceberg. By the time we left the city, we had dined like kings and ate like peasants and enjoyed everything inbetween.

In New Orleans, there is a history incorporated in everything you eat. As much as I try to duplicate the food, it just tastes better there. It must be the Louisiana voodoo. But, here are some recipes that allow you to come close.

Red beans and rice is a New Orleans staple. Monday was traditionally wash day, so the women would take the left over hambone from Sunday dinner and combine it with beans and vegetables. This was a meal that required little hands on attention, as it simmered in a pot all day.

Red beans and rice

Pound of dried red beans

2 slices bacon chopped

1 tablespoon oil

1 large onion diced

2 stalks celery diced

1 medium pepper diced

6 cloves garlic chopped

½ teaspoon dry thyme

½ pound andouille sausage cut into pieces

Ham bone or a smoked ham hock

Salt and pepper

2 quarts water or chicken stock

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Soak Beans overnight, drain. Render bacon in heavy bottom pot. Add vegetables and sweat until tender. Add sausage and ham bone/hocks. Cook until sausage browned. Add garlic and herbs and cook a minute. Toss in beans and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for a few hours. Go do some laundry. Stirring occasionally. Mash some of the beans before serving it over prepared rice.

Gumbo is derived from the West African name for okra, kimgombo. You can find okra in the grocer’s freezer. Once in a while you can find it fresh. Believe it or not, it can be grown easily around here in summer. According to locals there is no set recipe for gumbo, they’ll swear their’s is the best. Here’s mine for chicken gumbo, but you can use crab, fish, crayfish, pork, etc. like they do at Antoine’s.

Chicken Gumbo

½ cup flour

¼ cup vegetable oil

2 carrots

2 celery stalks

1 large pepper

1 large onion

4 cloves garlic

1 pound chicken breast cooked and cubed

1 pound tomato diced

½ pound okra sliced

¼ teaspoon cayenne

½ teaspoon thyme

½ teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 quarts chicken stock

½ pound sausage (optional)

Shrimp (optional)

In Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot, create chocolate roux by combining oil and flour and cooking until light chocolate in color. Stir flour often. Add onions, celery, carrots and peppers and cook until soft. Add garlic cook a minute. Add rest of ingredients. Simmer 30 minutes. Adjust with salt and pepper.

Café du Monde is where we were told to get our Beignets. But, in New Orleans, everywhere is the right place to get them. Here is the Café’s beignet recipe.

Beignets

1 cup water

¼ cup sugar

2 tablespoons butter

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup milk

4 cup flour

3 teaspoon yeast (1 packet plus ½ teaspoon)

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. A mixer with a dough hook would work best. Place in oiled bowl. Let rest in fridge for a few hours or overnight. Roll out dough to ¼ inch thickness. Cut into 2×2 squares. Fry in fryer or in pan with enough oil or shortening to let beignets float. Drain and garnish with generous amount of powdered sugar.

We had Brandy milk punch at Ralphs on the Park and it was love at first taste. It is like a brandy alexander with body.

Brandy Milk Punch Recipe

2 once brandy

½ cup milk

½ cup half and half

½ teaspoon powdered sugar

¼ teaspoon vanilla

cracked ice

freshly grated nutmeg

In cocktail shaker, shake together; brandy, milk, half and half, sugar and vanilla with some ice. Shake and strain, pouring over cracked ice. Top with nutmeg.

Keep in Mind: If you feel that your cooking just isn’t Mardi Gras enough, a couple of Pat O’Brien Hurricanes will fix that.