Mardi Gras Celebration
"L'aissez les bon temps roulez" as translated in Cajun French means "let the good times roll" for the Mardi Gras celebration on Fat Tuesday. This is also known as Shrove Tuesday or the Carnival, an annual festival marking the first day before the Christian fest of Lent, a 40-day period of self denial and abstinence from merrymaking. Essentially, Mardi Gras is the last opportunity for reverlry and indulgence in food and drink before the temperance of Lent. The celebration of Mardis Gras came to North America from Paris, where it had been celebrated since the Middle Ages. In 1699, Frech explorer Iberville explored the Mississippi River from theGulf of Mexico up to a spot approximately 60 miles south of present-day New Orleans.
But Mardi Gras' roots predate the French. Many people see a relationship to the ancient tribal rituals of fertility that welcomed the arrival of Spring. Thus Carnival was created as a period of merriment that would serve as a prelude to the penitential season of Lent. In the early 19th century, thepublic celebration of Mardi Gras consisted mainly of maskers on foot, in carriates and on horseback. In 1872, Rex, the self-proclaimed King of Carnival, presented Mardi Gras' first organized daytime parade and selected the Carnival's colors of purple, gold and green (which symbolize justice, power and faith). The King of Carnival immediately became the international symbol of Mardi Gras. By 1989, more than 600,000 people annually attended parades on the east and west banks of Jefferson Parish on Fat Tuesday. Perhaps the greatest change in Mardi Gras occurred in the 1980s when there was a tremendous increase in tourism during the Carnival season. Conventions which had once avoided New Orleans at Mardi Gras used the celebration as a reason to visit the famous town. International media was focused on Mardi Gras, with camera crews from Japan, Europe, and Latin America showcasing the festivities. Mardi Gras also became a year-round industry as more off-season conventions experieced the joys of Carnival, when they wer treated to mini-parades and repeat balls held in New Orleans' convention facilites. Beignets, a famous sugary pastry, were widely enjoyed in Jackson Square, which is situated in the French Quarter. So the next time when you visit New Orleans, "Let the Good Times Roll" on Fat Tuesday!
New Year's Eve
Looking forward to ringing in 2007 by orchestrating and running a Fireworks Show was just fascinating for me to undertake. The weekend prior to New Year's Day was the second time I had spent staying in my own home since my accident on July 18, 2006. On Saturday December 30th, I went to the Black-Cat Fireworks warehouse. I ended up buying small, medium and large sized "cakes" which are boxes attached by a single fuse. Inside the boxes are several mortar shots.
On December 31st, my friend Kevin and I proceeded to organize and set up the fireworks in a choreographed manner. We set up 2 rows of fireworks to be exploded with the second row to be lit last and serve as the "Grand Finale." We then proceeded to take the first row outside and set up on the street in front of my house. We had an outside table for small stuff and to hold the punks and flashlights. Portable chairs and sparklers were also placed in the driveway for an excellent view of the fireworks to be exploded. The show then began. There were several neighbors outside in their yards waiting for the ensuing show.
Man oh man, what an incredible show! After the first row of fireworks were expended, we decided to take a break and eat our dinner of homemade black-eyed peas and cornbread. That was delicious!
The second set or row of fireworks started off with a bang. The cakes were larger, more numerous, and even better than before! After eating dinner I was really excited about doing the best fireworks show ever. Once again a lot of neighbors came back outside to watch and enjoy the show. This time around, along with lighting up the cakes, I also began blowing up multiple packs of firecrackers in 1000 and 2000 firecracker rolls.
What a BLAST! Nothing like have a fireworks show with all kinds of firecrackers blowing up at the same time. All in all, this was definitely the best fireworks show I have ever put on. HAPPY NEW YEAR! Welcome to 2007!
Memories of Christmas
There is nothing like a delicacy of exotic bird (dove and quail) for a fantastic Christmas family meal for brunch after the Chrismas presents are opened. This is a long-time family tradition enjoyed by all participants. Started by my Aunt Sissy many years ago, the birds are carefullly prepared and cooked slowly in the oven. Ingredients for the birds include: parsley, onions, salt/pepper, and cooking wine (could be substitued by some drinking wine such as Chardonnay). The birds are initially browned on the stove with some butter and olive oil (or cooking oil) and then inserted into a baking dish with the above ingredients. The birds are cooked for approximately one hour at around 300 degrees before they are ready to eat. Just before the birds are ready, my mom would prepare bacon, eggs, toast, and muffins. The dessert is usually prepared and cooked ahead of time the day before.
The neat thing about eating birds is that you can save the breast bones after the meal is eaten. The cleaned breast bones are set aside and allowed to thoroughly dry. We all then have a contest to see who wins the breast bone. Pairs of people are given a breast bone and then they snap them in half. Whoever ends up the the biggest bone fragment wins! That way, there is a winner for all pairs of people.
Have a very Merry Christmas and enjoy your meal! Enjoy the specialty dish created by my Aunt whose recipe will live on.[Note: This article was publilshed in the December issue of The Rock.]
