Monday, February 19, 2007

Lundi Gras

We are a family of Mardi Gras lovers. Pie says he wants to open his bed & breakfast in New Orleans because that's where Mardi Gras is biggest. I long to go there one of these years. Maybe he'll go to school there. That would be a great excuse to go, just as I plan to make my cousins' attendance at school in Savannah a wonderful reason to hit that town! Maybe for St. Patrick's Day?

This year, though, if we go on vacation at all, it will be either to visit my mom in West Virginia or my dad & uncle in Miami. So, we celebrate at home. It's funny, Cleveland doesn't seem to be a big Mardi Gras kind of place. I haven't seen any king cakes for sale or anything like that. Good thing I had a Mam Papaul mix. I got mine at Jungle Jim's in Fairfield, Ohio (www.junglejims.com) but you might check www.cajunsupermarket.com if your local grocer doesn't carry it. You can always make it from scratch. I haven't tried that yet, since baking isn't really my thing. I chose the praline filling. I make a King Cake every year on Mardi Gras Day and last year, I made one with fudge filling. My dearest wife didn't like it as much, so I am back to praline. As soon as that baby cools, I am going to glaze and sugar it, then hit the Dante again. I plan to wear full Mardi Gras regalia of either tiara or pink cowgirl hat, boa and plenty of beads to school tomorrow. I am taking a King Cake to class, too.

Tonight, Pie brought out his beads for dinner and I need to dig mine out, too. I usually make something Louisiana-style for our dinner. Most often, it's jambalaya, but I have been known to make chicken or shrimp creole as well. This year, my wife is infatuated with pasta. So, when I saw a Rachael Ray recipe for a pasta version of jambalaya, I knew I had to make it. This is my adaptation of a very tasty dish for Mardi gras or anytime you want something a little spicy.

Jambalaya Pasta
1 lb. penne
2 tbsp. olive oil
12 oz. andouille, casing removed, meat diced (I used Emeril's Kicked-Up Smoked Sausage in deference to Pie's tender taste buds)
2 tbsp. butter
2 finely-chopped cloves garlic
1 chopped poblano pepper
1 small chopped green pepper (or whatever color you like best)
2 chopped celery stalks
1 chopped onion
Pepper
2 tbsp. flour
1 c. beer
1 c. chicken broth
14 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp. hot sauce
2 tsp. thyme
1/2 lb. diced skinless, boneless chicken breast
1/2 lb. shrimp, with tails and shells removed
1/4 c. heavy cream

Cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside. Heat a large skillet. Add oil and heat. Add sausage and brown. Remove to paper-towel-lined plate with slotted spoon. Add butter, garlic, poblano and green peppers, celery and onion. Cook 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in flour and cook 2 minutes. Whisk in beer and cook until beer is evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add next 4 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Add chicken and shrimp, cover and cook until they are cooked through, about 7 minutes. Add cream. Stir into pasta. Add andouille. Serves 4 hungry people.

If you are not up to cooking from scratch, check out Tony Cachere's or Zatarain's packaged foods.

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