If you're interested in cooking authentic Louisiana fare for Mardi Gras, look toward a plethora of awesome cookbooks that have come from New Orleans recently. Cooking Up a Storm features tons of classic savory recipes, and when it comes to desserts, you can't go wrong with Damn Good Sweet.
It's full of delicious-sounding treats like red velvet cake, lemon icebox pie, and the creamy luscious banana pudding seen here.
This pudding is relatively quick and easy to prepare; however, you do need several hours for it to chill. The vanilla wafer topping is a necessary step, as it adds a crisp textural contrast to the thick smooth pudding. Next time I make this, I will serve it with a dollop of whipped cream as well. Want to look at the recipe? Read more.
Curious as to how complicated banana pudding can get, I happened upon a brilliant bourbon-spiked recipe with glazed pecans and homemade sponge cake. Or, you can kick it old-school with something closer to the original Southern variety, courtesy of 
