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| King of the Carnival. |
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| Throw me something mister! |
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| Purple, green and gold Mardi Gras flags following a float. |
ART
Lafayette's
Mardi Gras
is a work of art
Photo's by Jack A. Atkinson
A family wedding brought me back to the South of my youth, which is always a joy for me. By coincidence Mardi Gras was just three days later, so I searched out the parades of Cajun Country and ended up in Lafayette, Louisiana. Below I share some of the sights I saw at Lafayette's Mardi Gras Parade!
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| The traditional Cajun costume for Mardi Gras is made from camouflage material with fringe. |
(Photographs in this article on Lafayette's Mardi Gras Parade are by Jack A. Atkinson © 2012, all rights reserved.)
FOOD
Simply Cajun
at Prejean's
in Lafayette
PREJEAN'S
When entering Prejean's Restaurant, one comes face to face with a fish tank for your enjoyment while you wait. It is swimming with turtles and catfish! These aqautic critters are lucky, because catfish, alligator, crawfish, crab and shrimp are the main ingredients of the food at Prejean's (pronounced prey'-zhon).
The decor is wooden and rustic. I was seated under a giant stuffed alligator - behind me were large maps of Louisiana and in front of me a back-lit stained glass artwork of a fishing boat. Tiny purple, green and gold lights flicker through mardi gras ribbons here and there. (Purple, Green & Gold are the colors of mardi gras and represent royalty.)
Danny, my server, was a native of Laffayette and had that pleasant indescribable drawl that only South Louisiana voices possess. I decided to order only appetizers, in order to try several different items.
MEAL:
Drink, to start the meal, I ordered the strawberry tinged beer, brewed in Covington, Louisiana. It was delightful, not sweet or off tasting, but light, delicious beer, with just a hint of strawberries.
First, I tried a cup of Duck & Andouille Sausage Gumbo, served with a small amount of white rice on the side. The roux was as black as ink, yet the duck and andouille sausage dominated the brew. (Assessment: Great!)
Next came a serving of six Crawfish Boudin Balls with Louis Sauce. These were about the size of golf balls and were a very soft rice and crawfish combination. This dish was not finger food and required a fork to dip the bites into the white, creamy Louis Sauce. I only ate two. (Assessment: Good, but not worth how full I would have been, if I had eaten all six.)
Third I was served a 3" x 1/2" disk of breaded and fried eggplant topped with a mound of sauteed then chopped crab and shrimp surrounded by a Cane Syrup & Worcestershire Cream Sauce. The eggplant had become liquefied during the cooking and the combination of flavors was Very Good! (Assessment: Excellent!)
Finally came the "pièce de résistance" the Crawfish and Alligator Cheesecake in Crawfish Cream Sauce. This concoction was served as a 3" x 3/4" round disk with a crispy, parmesan cheese, crust on all sides. The interior was a white mousse made by combining several cheeses with the pureed crawfish and alligator meats. The mousse was slightly sweet, the crust was salty and crunchy and the sauce, garnished with chopped green onion tops, added more body and flavors to the total experience. (Assessment: Extraordinary!)
My appetizer meal was a real treat. These exact dishes I had never eaten before. If you are ever near Lafayette, Louisiana, Pejean's is a "must"!
Shopping
Cajun Style
Prejean's also has a gift shop full of "Cajun Gifts". They offer a "Prejean's Cookbook" and some of their "Cajun Food" (frozen) as a mail order option. (www.prejeans.com)
Until later,
Jack
Postscript:
More Mardi Gras photos from Lafayette.
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| It was a hot and clear Mardi Gras. |
ARTSnFOOD, All rights reserved. Concept & Original Text © Copyright 2012 Jack A. Atkinson under all International intellectual property and copyright laws. Images © individual artists, fabricators, respective owners or assignees.
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