Happy Mardi Gras!

We had a great weekend in New Orleans. We drove in on Saturday morning and spent the rest of the day out on the street watching parades until about 9:30 that night. I didn’t want to risk breaking or losing my good camera, so I brought my old one and managed to get only a few decent shots. (None of my photos of the big parade, Endymion, came out because by then it was too dark for my ancient camera, so if you’re looking for photos of Grand Marshall Taylor Hicks, you’re out of luck.) Here are a few photos just to get you into the Carnival mood; if you’re looking for recipes, check the end of this post for links to my previous New Orleans dishes.

This is my favorite photo. I love the joyfully outstretched hands of the guy on the left and the hat and “Adversity” t-shirt of the guy on the right.

Here’s E. right after we got there. By the time we left, her little neck was weighed down with about 15 pounds of beads. We were very lucky to be able to spend a lot of time up above the street in a viewing stand (thanks, Cousin Doug!) You can see some guys across the street on a makeshift stand of their own.

This gumbo is definitely not vegan! One of the irreverent floats from the Krewe of Tucks.

Another Tucks float–they really throw a lot of stuff! We got home Sunday with enough bags of beads, toys, and plastic cups to completely cover our kitchen table. Unfortunately, they’re still there.

I’d hoped to have a new recipe for you by today, but I’ve been busy making old favorites. Last night I made “Crab” Cakes using tofu instead of okara, and right now I’ve got Red Beans and Rice cooking on the stove–I’m bringing them to E.’s school for a Mardi Gras party at lunch. You can bring a little Mardi Gras to your table, too, with any of the following recipes:

Mirliton and White Bean Stew
Not-So-Dirty Rice
Tofu Jambalaya
Black-eyed Pea Gumbo
Eggplant Creole
Patty Pan Squash Stuffed with Cajun White Beans
Chickpea Gumbo
Stewed Okra and Tomatoes

Happy Mardi Gras, everyone!