Mardi Gras Run

Cajuns and Creoles on French Louisiana’s rural prairies traditionally celebrate the last day before Lent by "running" Mardi Gras. Early on Mardi Gras morning—or in some cases on the Saturday or Sunday before—bands of disguised riders on horses or trailers set out to scour the countryside. Stopping at homes along the way, they sing, dance, clown, and coax hosts into donating "a little fat chicken," sausage links, onions, rice, or lard. Unmasked capitaines make sure the rowdy beggars (known as les Mardi Gras) behave themselves, reassuring homeowners that—despite all appearances—the mischievous visitors are not dangerous strangers, thieves, or troublemakers. In reality, their mission is to collect ingredients for a gros (big) gumbo, a meal they share with the community later that evening.

The country courir de Mardi Gras, or Mardi Gras run, belongs to an ancient tradition of masked begging processions—sometimes called midwinter "luck visits"—once widespread in Europe. As these customs spread to Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, the Caribbean, and parts of the United States, they remained dynamic by adapting to new surroundings and changing times. By the middle of the 20th century, many Cajuns in French Louisiana had lost interest in running Mardi Gras (and Cajun culture in general) in a shift toward Americanization. The last two decades or so, though, have seen a revitalization of the country Mardi Gras celebration. Each year, more than a dozen rural Cajun communities, and several Creole communities, hold Mardi Gras runs that include anywhere from fifteen to hundreds of riders.

Information from: Country Mardi Gras Tradition

Quite a few people have asked me what Mudbugs/Crawfish are. I have read that the crawfish is a first cousin to the lobster. Personally I think the two of them taste an awful lot like. Since Crawfish are so much smaller than a lobster, it takes more crawfish to make a meal. "Louisiana Crawfish Boil" is the web site to check out for information on crawfish. This site will provide you with just about everything you might want to know about crawfish. It even explains how to eat crawfish. I eat them the Yankee way by picking the meat out of the shell and not by sucking it.


Have a great weekend........

Let The Good Times Roll

With Mardi Gras coming up soon I thought I might share some of the history and tradition behind this grand party. Food (and plenty of it) is a big part of the Cajun life style. If there is a reason to celebrate something, then there is a reason to have lots of food. There is a story that one of the Louisiana politicians was visiting in another state and was taken to see their zoo. This Louisiana politician shared with the others that the name plaques outside of the cages in Louisiana didn't just contain the name of the animal, but also the recipes.

Crawlfish or Mud bugs is as much of a treat to anyone from Louisiana as Lobster is to a Yankee. Being a fan of both, I think the only difference between the two is size. There is a restaurant in the Rayne area of Southwest Louisiana called Hawks. You drive forever through the back roads of the country past miles of rice fields and Crawlfish ponds to get to it. This is unlike any other restaurant that you might have dined at because they close their doors when Crawfish season is over. They have the best there is to offer though and what time they are open, they are packed. Crawfish can't get any fresher than being raised right out the back door of the restaurant.

History of the King Cake...

The Feast of the Epiphany (the coming of the wise men baring gifts) is celebrated twelve days after Christmas. It is traditionally a time of celebration and feasting. The "King Cake" is named in honor of the three kings.

A tiny baby is found inside of every cake. There was a time when the baby would be made of porcelain or gold, but these days they are usually plastic. The King Cake Parties are very common throughout Louisiana. The tradition is, that the person receiving the slice of cake that contains the baby is asked to continue with another party and furnish the next King Cake.

As with everything, the King Cake has evolved from it's original beginnings as a simple ring of dough and a little decoration. The King Cakes of today can be very decorative and festive. After the dough is braided and baked, the baby is inserted and the cake topped with enough sugary icing in the Mardi Gras colors of Gold, Purple and Green to be the undoing of any diabetic.

The Mardi Gras Season begins on January 6, which is the Twelfth Night following Christmas. Mardi Gras Day is always 41 days prior to Easter Sunday.

Fat Tuesday is always the day before Ash Wednesday. Another connection with food. Ash Wednesday is the day during the Easter Season that traditionally kicks off Lent, the period of sacrifice and fasting. With that bit of knowledge, it isn't difficult to figure out what "Fat Tuesday" is all about. It is all about eating all of those goodies that you will be giving up for Lent.

Wishing you many blessings for the week ahead.