It is Mardi Gras Time!

Grab your mask and your beads -- it is Mardi Gras time! Folks living around heavy Mardi Gras activity (like my mom) know that parades and parties have already started. I think I still have moon pies left from my last parade, and I'm terribly sad I can't go back this year. Fat Tuesday is on February 5, and even if you don't celebrate the holiday, you can and should eat the food. Just imagine a steaming bowl of jambalaya or gumbo, spicy red beans and rice, king cake, pralines, and for the very bold, a batch of hurricanes. Why not ask your friends over for a Louisiana-style meal? Crank up some New Orleans jazz on the iPod, and you're all set. For those who don't mind a "hard" beverage in their midst, here's the recipe I got from Pat O'Briens in New Orleans for their famous party punch. Watch the recipe list at the left of the screen for other Mardi Gras, New Orleans, and Louisiana favorites. Do you have a favorite to share? Send it in to thesoutherndish@gmail.com.

Hurricanes
The Hurricane is said to have debuted at Pat O'Briens bar in New Orleans more than fifty years ago. The sweet, potent cocktail was given its moniker because it was served in glasses shaped like hurricane lamps.

2 oz light rum
2 oz dark rum
2 oz passion fruit juice
1 oz orange juice
juice of a half a lime
1 Tbsp simple syrup
1 Tbsp grenadine
an orange slice and a cherry for garnish

Squeeze the juice from half a lime into a cocktail shaker over ice. Pour the remaining ingredients into the shaker. Shake well. Leaving the strainer on the cocktail shaker in place, strain the mixture into a hurricane glass (the traditional hurricane lamp-shaped glasses like Pat O'Brien's in New Orleans uses) or other large glass. Garnish with a cherry and an orange slice.

Hot Mulled Cider

I've had hot cider lots of times, in the South and elsewhere, but I never really loved it. That changed on my recent trip to New York. I had a hot mulled cider cocktail at Lupa's that knocked my socks off. I don't have their recipe, but using my best guesses, I made some the other night. This will definitely be our Christmas Eve dessert beverage. This recipe has a bit of kick provided by Maker's Mark bourbon. Of course, you can leave that out, but if you do, you might want to dilute the cider a bit with some hot water just prior to drinking, or it might be too sweet.

Hot Mulled Cider
1 jug (128 oz.) apple cider, not from concentrate, such as Musselman's
6 T. ground cinnamon or 6 cinnamon sticks
4 t. ground ginger or 2 pieces (approx 2 in. in length each) fresh ginger peeled and pricked
2 T. nutmeg
1 T. butter
bourbon, such as Maker's Mark (optional)

Put all spices in cheese cloth and tie with kitchen string. Pour cider into a large pot and add spice sachet and 1 pat of butter (this helps prevent boiling over and adds a nice creaminess). Bring to a boil. Reduce to medium heat. Cook on medium to medium-low for approximately 4 hours, until reduced by 2/3. Use 4-5 parts mulled cider to 1 part bourbon for a cocktail. Or do the same with hot water to dilute slightly. Serve warm.

Note: I was out of cheesecloth, so I used the ground versions of all the spices, and made two sachets with coffee filters and string, dividing the spices equally between the two sachets. It worked just fine.