Next Tuesday is no ordinary Tuesday. It marks the holiday of Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras), also known as Shrove Tuesday and Carnival. The day before the beginning of Lent was officially added to the Catholic calendar in 1582 by Pope Gregory XII. The good times have been rolling ever since.
Mardi Gras is a day of excess. Diets are broken. Jazz is trumpeted through the streets. Costumes are worn. In New Orleans the day is the highlight of the year. The Louisiana-based company Zatarain’s (manufacturer of my favorite Creole seasoning) is working on a petition to ask Congress to make Mardi Gras a national holiday. This campaign may just work: ever since Hurricane Katrina many Americans have felt a special kinship Louisiana and its residents.
I obtained this recipe from the helpful people at Zatarain’s. The colors of Mardi Gras are purple, green, and gold so I made the recipe more festive by using baby purple and gold potatoes. I threw in a bit of the tops of the scallions to give the salad a touch of green. The salad is refreshing and not too heavy, with a little zing; the Creole mustard has extra vinegar so there’s no need to add that to the mixture.
Ingredients:
3 pounds baby potatoes (you may use red if you don’t have purple and gold)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup Creole mustard (Zatarain’s makes this, of course!)
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning (again from Zatarain’s; I used a bit more because I love this seasoning)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1-1/2 cups diced tomatoes
1/2 cup crumbled bacon (optional but delicious)
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions (scallions)
Instructions:
Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until they are fork tender but not soggy. Drain and quarter them.
In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, sour cream, Creole seasoning, and sugar. Add the warm potatoes, and toss to coat them with the dressing. Add the tomatoes, bacon (if desired), and scallions, and toss lightly.
Cover the salad, and refrigerate it for at least to hours to let the flavors blend. Serves 12.
Getting Ready for Mardi Gras: Anna, Gaby, and Michael don masks and beads.
3 pounds baby potatoes (you may use red if you don’t have purple and gold)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup Creole mustard (Zatarain’s makes this, of course!)
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning (again from Zatarain’s; I used a bit more because I love this seasoning)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1-1/2 cups diced tomatoes
1/2 cup crumbled bacon (optional but delicious)
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions (scallions)
Instructions:
Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until they are fork tender but not soggy. Drain and quarter them.
In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, sour cream, Creole seasoning, and sugar. Add the warm potatoes, and toss to coat them with the dressing. Add the tomatoes, bacon (if desired), and scallions, and toss lightly.
Cover the salad, and refrigerate it for at least to hours to let the flavors blend. Serves 12.
Getting Ready for Mardi Gras: Anna, Gaby, and Michael don masks and beads.
Originally posted 19 February 2009:
ReplyDeleteYour bird’s eye photos of the food have been spectacular - the creole potato salad is stunning. However, the photo’s angle precludes a sense of depth and makes me realize that food seen from the vantage point of the diner is perhaps better by being less abstract. That is to say, the salad made me hungry. If they ever have scratch and sniff food blogs I’m doomed.
I second Peter’s comments–your food photos are great! And the staff looks particularly fabulous this week!
ReplyDeleteZatarain’s is one of our favorites. Makes a special meal out of anything. Laissez le bon temps roule!
ReplyDeleteThe staff thank (thanks?) you ALL for your comments. We love to eat spicy, colorful food–and to dress up!
ReplyDeleteI would love to Mardi Gras off and be able to celebrate it. Probably wouldn’t have the time off because we live in Utah–too far away.
ReplyDelete