The Pork Boys Do Mardi Gras, 2023

True to his Cajun roots, M. P. naturally went all out with our Mardi Gras feast on Tuesday evening.

Le Menu

Galliano (aperitif)

Champagne

Devilled Eggs

Grits and Gumbo (chicken & sausage)

Roast Turkey Breast with Cream Gravy

Cornbread and Rice Dressing

Maque Choux (corn casserole)

Mashed Baked Potatoes

Homemade Biscuits

Kings' Cake

Coffee

M. P, found some purple silk damask and just hemmed up the edges to make this beautiful tablecloth for Mardi Gras.

Everybody knows - don't they? - that purple, green, and gold are the Mardi Gras colors.  The candles are deep purple.

M.P. has been practicing a fleur-de-lys napkin fold for some years now,
and isn't it fabulous?  You may not appreciate how fabulous it is until you try it.

Gumbo is normally served over rice, which Louisiana produces plenty of; but un vrai Acadien knows that it's mighty damn good over potato salad, too.  M. P. and I have furthermore discovered that gumbo and grits are a lip-smacking sensation.

The turkey breast was melt-in-your-mouth tender and juicy.  There's a whole 'nother half not shown here.  Most will be frozen for later use in sandwiches, soups, casseroles, etc.

Cornbread-and-rice dressing, left; maque choux, right.

Mashed baked potatoes, a new invention of M. P.'s.

Luscious cream gravy made from the turkey drippings.

The soup course was chicken-and-sausage gumbo, one of my favorite things.

The Pork Boys love devilled eggs.  But with the high prices these days,
we can't afford to make a full dozen.

From the noon position:  baked mashed potatoes, maque choux, devilled egg, turkey and gravy, dressing, biscuit and butter..

M. P.'s third attempt at making a Kings' Cake (a coffee cake) succeeded nicely, and he had big fun decorating it.

Here's my piece - and guess what?  I got the fève!
(It's partly sticking out at bottom.)

M.P. ordered this little glass angel some time back just for our Mardi Gras cake.  In olden times, it might have been a bean or a pecan.  The one who gets it in his cake is the king of the party.  An amusing custom.

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