Mardi
Gras Party and On-The-Parade-Route Catering Recipes
Mardi
Gras Party and On-The-Parade-Route Catering Recipes
and first of all, planning!!!
Overall... OR go directly to Recipe and Menu Suggestions (below)
Have hand sanitizer in the bathroom, kitchen sink, food
serving table, in the ice chest along the parade route... BASICALLY anywhere
there is food for people to pickup with their hands! OR supply many of the
individual packets.. Your guest will appreciate it!
Purchase
20+ rolls of toilet paper... When you are along a parade route, use Zip-Locks
and pack several in ice chests. Along the parade routes port-o-potties are
always out OR drenched in unknown liquids.
Back in the apartment.. place MANY of them in the bathroom. (Did you see the bathroom scene in "The Party" with Peter Sellers)
Purchase
a NEW mop and bucket, have them available for spills and chills!
Trust ME.... Throw away on Ash Wednesday.
Disposables are a MUST... Don't even consider using your best china or drink
ware, (Unless you consider Endymion throw cups fine dining!) See
Ya Know You Are From N'awlins When....
I like
to supply a couple of jars of Pickled Eggs or Veggies at the Parade or at an
Home Party.... Most golf courses have hard-boiled eggs at the club house....
there IS a reason!
Throughout the year, I save the unused PC or individual
packets that I get from fast food restaurants...... Place these in a bowl...
this will give your guests the choice of many different condiments!!
The least you
need to clean up the better!! SOOOOO... Design for "Leftovers",
purchase in advance hinged "to go" trays for guests to take some goodies
home. When the parade or party
is finished, arrange the leftovers in the disposables, cover. Most
leftovers are great cold the next day!. Also, make sure you have plenty of the
large Ziploc freezer bags available for longer storage.
GOING to the Parade??? Always Remember to..
Rolling
ice chests are a must.... You don't want to carry anything!! They can also
be used to carry items on the top with some strap down bungee cords. (
Like in...hauling back your beads!)
Pack a
couple of disposable rain ponchos!! Purchase them on-line and well in
advance from eBay about $1.50 each!! (including shipping and sales tax!
WOW. And Cheap!)
Pack
your sandwiches or poboys into smaller/individual servings.... use waterproof
Ziploc bags.... with several paper napkins AND a wet whipe placed within. See below in
Menu Suggestions.
If it is
going to be cold.... then pack a Thermos with Sakè
(See Recipe)
You are not going
to believe how good it is!!
Even if it is not raining.... consider wearing some Shrimp
Boots... They will keep your feet dry and soft on the sole. Plus
stinky stuff from the Neutral Ground is easily washed off.
GOING to the Parades and be on the parade route ALL Day??? Well always Remember to..
Chef Ricky lives about
a block off of the beginning of the Endymion Parade.... Their neighborhood pays
college kids to sit on the neutral ground for days reserving their spot... Now
that is dedication!!! BUT if you are not going to do that, then you should about
24 hours ahead of the festivities, stake out your area.. Use old
comforters, tables, ladders and chairs. (Tie them down), New Orleansians
and police will respect a
reasonable sized reserved area on St. Charles Ave and other parade routes.
Ya gonna
need a potty!! Check if the city is going to put up some near your
location..
OR
plan to purchase SOMETHING from a store near your area so you can GO in their
restrooms.... OR
rent an apartment near the parade route (this is what my daughter did for years!
BUTT!!!
anyway...
Have an emergency "Bucket" on hand, You know what I mean!
Is your
home BBQ pit about to crash? Save it for MG!!!, foil the bottom and you can get one
last cookout from it. OR...There are small/cheap ones at the box stores
for about $25...
Plan to BBQ all day so bring plenty of charcoal or propane (an extra tank!!) The guests that you invite will bring food to BBQ or at least heat up... so be ready.
Purchase
a CHEAP easy-up 10'x10' tent... but know they leak and are NOT rainproof. SOOOO
get an 11'x19' Poly tarp from Harbor Freight for under $30
(check out)
and stake it above your tent with some nylon rope.. It will give an extra level of rain/sun
protection!!! AND very inexpensive to have when inclement weather
happens.
OK!!!
from my college days... Dumpster Dive for Sofas!!!.... enough said!
Hosting
a Mardi Gras Party at your home?? TIPS!
This is probably the most important tip....
Not many of your guests will come in costume... BUT, When they see that everyone
has something FUNKY on... THEN the "Game is Afoot". You have to get
a large plastic bin and fill it with parts of costumes. Feather Boas!!
Wigs! Hats! Capes for Super Heroes..... Purchase them, Of course, when they
are on sale, just after a holiday OR at a Thrift Store! Then just pack them away for Mardi
Gras.
Set up the buffet table so that several people can enjoy at one
time.... Purchase at least 30 lbs of ice and pack them in rolling ice
chest!
Toilet
Paper!!! See above!!!
OK..
This is going to sound gross..... BUT it works... IF you are going to have a ton
of college kids at your house all day... WELL... fill the downstairs bathtub
with ice and lemon juice... GUYS will know what to do... and the bathroom will
be A LOT faster used by all.
Tips and Points to Consider for your Menu!
If you are
going to have a crowd of 20+ people, consider investing in inexpensive
chafers. These are designed for keeping food hot for several hours, and a wise
investment that will not only look good, but will keep the food at a servable
temperature (145F) and thus, kill most bacteria!
I also like the chafers that are heated by fuel wicks. Electric heated chafers draw many amps, and when 2 or 3 are connected to the same circuit, a blown fuse will occur at the least favorable moment! I also don't like the "sterno" fuels. they are usually too hot and burn out fast. A wicked heat source will burn for several hours.
I know that a
lot of New Orleansians have special party china, BUTTTT, I suggest that you use a high
quality acrylic disposable table setting or laminated foam. This is for several reasons: First, if
you have plenty of toddlers, kids are going to drop and break your good china.
Second, smaller plates allows your guests to graze! Eat some, throw away the
plate, and come back later for more! And finally, I hate to clean up, so
if you can clean up faster, then there is a GAUD!
AND MOST
of ALL! YOU will not have time or the effort to cook or prepare ANYTHING!!! DOOO ALL of your planning in advance... ALSO plan for cleanup!!!
Hire some college kids to come in the next day... They will make a couple of
bucks and you can sleep in late!!! DUH
Artichoke Balls Creole Italian Style Fantastic to have at your party or on the Parade Route
Bloody Mary Pickled Veggies Fantastic to have at your party or on the Parade Route
Boudin King Cake ----- Perfect for your Mardi Gras Party!!
Cajun Pickled Cucumber Spears w/ Baby Corn Great for Sandwiches on the Parade Route
Crawfish Boil Breakfast Buffet Etouffee Great to have at your morning Mardi Gras party
Mini Muffulettas These are a MUST!!! Both in your home and on the route... With no mayo and preserved meats they will hold, un-refrigerated for hours.
Muffuletta Mini Meat Pies Great at the home base party or along the Parade Route!
Mardi Gras Parade PoBoys These are also a MUST!!! PLUS MANY TIPS!!!
Boudin King Cake This is a great centerpiece savory sandwich.
Pecan Praline Bacon For those parades that are early (Noon!!!) But Really,,, Fantastic if you are going to do some breakfast items.... AND they hold well if not eaten at first.... Also sugar is a quick pick-me-up!
Chipotle Mustard Omelet OR Do anything..... with eggs in the early morning before the parades!
Smokes in Cheesy Penne Pasta I use this recipe for the Zoo-To-Do for kids..... BUT it is fantastic for a Mardi Gras Party!! I would also suggest that you have some whole milk on hand... If the dish is in a chaffer for over an hour you will need to re-hydrate it with some milk.
Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya Well DUH!!! It is a South Louisiana staple and holds well for hours.
Turkey and Andouille Gumbo IF it is COLD outside there is no better than a gumbo for internal napalm!
The Chili From HELL!!! ok, not the best name and maybe too large for a parade party, BUT..... Ya gotta have some Chili!!! IF you make it right..... it can be eaten as an entree or as a complement to grilled dogs and sausages!!
Make it Ya Self .... Bloody Marti Gras Bar OK, this is cool and ya gotta do it! Also SEE my Pics and Comments on the Veggie Fixin's
Mardi Gras Parade Sake` WOW, do you want to be warm on the parade route... Then do this!
Mardi Gras Creole Crawfish Dip PERFECT for a buffet table display!!
Sazerac Cocktail (Mostly Traditional) Great to sip while watching the parades on TV
Crawfish Stuffed Pistolettes Great crawfish sandwiches for bringing to a parade!
Crawfish Dip ---- Great for parties, watching the Saints game or Mardi Gras!
Mediterranean Stuffed Pitas (Arayes) Yep, ya gotta try these!! Really
Zombie Crawfish Easy to prep and a Super HDO
Contact us for further details....ChefEmile@CustomCatering.net
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Chef Emile L. Stieffel, Aurora Catering, Inc. email
address: ChefEmile@CustomCatering.net
4016 Red Cypress Dr., Harvey, LA 70058
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Revised: February 01, 2019