Bienvenue a Mardis Gras!

Mardis Gras! Or Fat Tuesday, referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting for Lent. Also celebrated with masks, beads and yes, the occasional flashing. I had never really celebrated before but we moved to Louisiana four months ago and it seemed down right sacrilegious not to this year. So we packed up Zoe in her traveling bag and headed down to the parade to get a dose of the local culture. And let me tell you, every stereotype you can imagine was out en force. Grown men in camouflaged ones-ies, one even told me he had eaten a squirrel the size of Zoe once.... People with bad teeth, three teeth, NO teeth. Women wearing clothing that must have once belonged to a toddler. And what should have made us feel safer, policemen in riot gear. Witnessing all this, it stretches ones imagination to fathom the festivities in "N'awlins". All these prejudices aside, once the parade began and the beads started flying I found myself, as well as the group of rational and sane adults we were with, to be overcome by the hedonism and crazed by the need for MORE BEADS!!

After the parade we marched back to a friend's house to wait out the traffic and found ourselves counting our beads much like the way we counted our Halloween candy as children. I am proud to say that Z and I collected a grand total of 110 strands of beads!

However, we did not anticipate the way a dog would view the Mardi Gras shenanigans. What with people screaming, and throwing things at you, trucks honking, sirens blaring. Though she never used to, Z is now thrown into a tizzy by any blaring noise. I fear she may be suffering from doggie ptsd, but I am sure will be fully recovered in a few days.

Naturally on Fat Tuesday, I wanted to make something festive for dinner. I didn't think far enough ahead for gumbo so I settled for a quick Jambalaya and some fried fish. I think tonight was one of my better efforts so I will share it with you.

Ingredients
Zatarain's low sodium jambalaya mix
1/2 c. rice
1 green bell pepper chopped
4 cloves of garlic minced
1 small white onion chopped
1 large breast of chicken chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
12 oz sausage (I used kielbasa) cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 c. Salsa (Pace)
3 1/2 c water
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp Emeril Lagasse's Cajun Essence
1/2 c. frozen okra
2 T. olive oil

- Heat 1 tbs oil in dutch oven over medium high heat and add sausage. Sprinkle one tsp. Cajun Essence and stir to coat. Once sausage has browned remove to a bowl.
- Add chicken to remaining fat in dutch oven and season with remaining Cajun Essence. Cook 5 minutes, stirring so all sides are cooked. Remove to sausage bowl
- Pour 1 T. olive oil in dutch oven and add garlic. Cook 30 seconds and add pepper and onion. Saute until onion is softened.
- Meanwhile combine water and salsa in a measuring bowl. Add to onion mixture and bring to a boil.   - Stir in jambalaya mix, rice and meat and return to boil. Sprinkle cayenne over liquid then cover and simmer on low for 25 minutes.
- Add okra with ten minutes left to go on cooking time.
- Fluff and serve immediately