3 minute read
Cooking Up Mardi Gras
COOKING UP M a r d i G r a s !
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Cookbooks have been out and about during the holidays, but pack away the mistletoe and bring out the Mardi Gras King Cakes!
Well that is easy for us because we have Junior League Cookbooks. You can still get them and some for gifts too! We have bundled all three cookbooks, Mardi Gras to Mistletoe, Revel, and A Cook’s Tour for one very special price, so you have no excuse not to get all three. Put together a Mardi Gras party and get cooking!
With New Year’s resolution successes (or not) under our belts, it is now Carnival time! Bring on the King Cake, jambalaya, and marinated crab claws recipes!
Mardi Gras in Louisiana—it’s a perfect time to cook up some wintertime and Mardi Gras favorites! In the words of Neil Johnson, the photographer for both Revel and Mardi Gras to Mistletoe, “It should make this community proud to consider what the Junior League has accomplished and continues to accomplish generation after generation.”
Junior League Cookbooks all have some of the best recipes and party planning ideas and eats ever. Mardi Gras to Mistletoe’s February section has King Cake recipes—a traditional and an easy King Cake recipe too! It even gives hints for easier bean cooking for red beans and rice. Revel‘s Winter section decorates and plans the entire Mardi Gras party—doing everything but cooking the Mardi Gras party menu for you! Every page of A Cook’s Tour has favorite recipes that would fit with any Southern Mardi Gras celebration.
Do not forget the King Cake Classic 5K/10K/Fun Run on February 26. Cookbooks will be there, too! With Fat Tuesday not until March 1, 2022, this year we have the whole month of February to party and celebrate and eat! Register for the KCC and purchase your JLSB cookbooks now to get training and cooking.
Get your Junior League cookbooks and Laissez les bon temps roulez!
MARINATED CRAB CLAWS
Mardi Gras to Mistletoe, p. 30
1 lb. steamed crab claws ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil ¼ cup wine vinegar 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp Zatarain’s mustard ½ tsp dry mustard 1/16 tsp oregano ½ cup chopped fresh parsley ¼ cup finely chopped celery 3 green onions, finely chopped 1 tbsp drained capers, rinsed and chopped
Place the crab claws in a shallow dish with a cover. Combine the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, paprika, Zatarain’s mustard, dry mustard, and oregano in a bowl and mix well. Stir in the parsley, celery, green onions, and capers. Pour the olive oil mixture over the crab claws and turn to coat.
Marinate, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for 2 to 10 hours, shaking the container and turning every few hours. Serve chilled with French bread to soak up the delicious marinade. Serves 4 to 6.
HOT BACON AND SWISS DIP
Mardi Gras to Mistletoe, p. 32
8 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 cup mayonnaise 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese 4 green onions, chopped ½ tsp Tabasco sauce 8 slices bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled 1 cup butter cracker crumbs Paprika to taste Chopped fresh parsley to taste
Combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, Swiss cheese, green onions, and Tabasco sauce in a mixing bowl and beat until combined, scraping the bowl occasionally. Spread the cream cheese mixture in a 2 ½-cup baking dish or a 9-inch round baking dish and sprinkle with the bacon and cracker crumbs.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle lightly with paprika and parsley and serve with assorted party crackers. Serves 10 to 12.
For more information on Cookbook Bundles, reach out to Cookbook Chair Maggie Malone at (318) 469-8476 or magstern@bellsouth.net
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Erin Walker, DDS........................................ 23 Garden Park............................................... 18
Jennifer Bradford Photography................. 21 Lee Michaels................................Back Cover
Miramon Law .................... Inside Back Cover
