Mardi Gras Dinner

Dani hosted the Mardi Gras supper. A good time was had by all although Cindy and Christine were missed.

The courses included an arugula fennel, onion, and orange salad, dirty beans and rice, crabcake po'boys with remoulade and coleslaw. We also enjoyed a champagne cocktail with gin and Meyer lemon juice and homemade cheese crackers.

I (Lauren) made a classic New Orleans cocktail called a French 75. I got this recipe from Food and Wine, I substituted gin for the cognac as the cocktail can be made both ways and I had gin. I then made an arugula, fennel, and orange salad from a recipe by Susan Spicer, the Chef at Bayona in New Orleans.

I (Dani) decided to make Cheddar Cheese Straws as an appetizer and Crab Po' Boys with a Honey-Mustard Slaw.
The Cheddar Cheese Straws were from Southern Living and really turned into crisps. The only modification I made to the recipe was to use 2 tsp of Paprika plus 1 tsp of Chipotle Chile Powder.
The Honey Mustard Slaw was from Bon Appetit and I modified the recipe quite a bit. I am not a big mayonnaise eater and I like my slaw with more than just cabbage.
Here are the modifications I made:
- 3/4 of 1 head of Green Cabbage Shredded (instead of 1 full head)
- 6 carrots shredded
- 6 red radishes shredded

In the dressing, I used 1/2 cup mayonnaise and 1/2 cup non-fat greek yogurt to replace the 3/4 cup of mayonnaise.


The Crab Po' Boy was from Gourmet and I modified the recipe slightly since I don't like mayonnaise or plain lettuce.

Here are the modifications I made to the mustard-mayonnaise:
- instead of 1/3 cup mayonnaise, I used 1/6 cup mayonnaise and 1/6 cup non-fat greek yogurt
- I could not find Sweet Pickles, so I used sweet pickle relish

In the sandwich, I replaced the lettuce with my Honey-Mustard Slaw.

I (Kim) decided to try the Cooking Light version of Baked Louisiana Dirty Rice and Beans. The only change I made to the recipe was to use red bell pepper in place of the green & dried thyme instead of the fresh.


I (Rebecca) brought a New Orleans Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce. This was a simple bread pudding from Cooking Light made with French bread soaked in a mixture of milk, eggs and spices and sprinkled with bourbon-soaked raisins. After baking in a water-bath, the bread pudding is served warm with a tablespoon of the accompanying Bourbon sauce.