February 24, 2019

We met at Mary's house for a Mardi Gras theme!
Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler!

Our appetizer was courtesy of Angelica.  These crab cakes with aioli were a delicious starter.  Pan frying crisps the outside without making the little cakes greasy.

Michelle brought her "A" (alcoholic) game with these Mardi Gras Carnival Queen cocktails.  Good grief!  These went down very smooth.  Too smooth! There is a drop of lemon juice so it would be a lie to say these are all alcohol.

The salad recipe I picked also has Mardi Gras in the name. The colors of purple (cabbage), green (parsley) and gold (oranges) represent justice, faith and power, respectively. Emeril Lagasse concocted this salad and the most complicated component is the poppy seed dressing.  Also, toasting the pecans is a must because it really changes the flavor.  You can either do this in the oven or in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant.

Our guest chef, Carol, prepared a beautiful, savory crawfish pie.  Using an egg wash on a store bought pie crust is an easy way to make it look not only homemade but also elegant.  This pie was one of my favorite things we have ever had at cooking group.  The filling comes together quickly and simply and when sandwiched between two pie crusts is a culinary masterpiece.  

Mary picked Shrimp and Grits Dressing as our main dish.  I admit, I did not know what this was going to turn out to be!  I know what cornbread dressing is as it is a staple at my Thanksgiving table.  In this recipe the grits are the "corn bread" and binder for all the other deliciousness.  It is important that you use old fashioned or regular grits and not quick or instant.  Walmart is a good place to find these.  I loved this rich, shrimp dish. 

Our Mardi Gras feast was concluded with Tonya's King Cake. She used the cinnamon roll recipe on the box of Pillsbury Hot Roll Mix. After you roll it into a log, you connect the ends to make a ring. For the filling, she used 8 ounces of cream cheese and mixed it with 1 teaspoon vanilla and powdered sugar to taste, about 1/2 a cup. She also put in blueberries, and you can use whatever fruit or addition that you want. For the icing she mixed 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons soft butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and enough milk to get the right consistency like the icing that comes in a tube of cinnamon rolls.  Then of course on top were sprinkles in the traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold.