To die for.
It's called Fat Tuesday for a reason, right? Mardi Gras celebrations are known for being over-the-top indulgent, but if that's not your style, not to worry — you can still enjoy all the flavors of New Orleans without all the calories. In honor of today's celebration, we've put together a menu of healthier versions of classic New Orleans and Southern dishes. Read on for the recipes! Read more
In honor of Mardi Gras, make a lighter (yet still flavor-packed) vegan version of the New Orleans favorite, jambalaya. The Cajun Trinity (and mirepoix variant), sautéed onion, bell pepper, and celery, along with the Creole seasoning give this dish a certified Southern flavor, while the rice, vegetables, and broth thicken to create a rich, creamy texture. This dish does require a few hours to Read more
Is there any better excuse for debauchery than Mardi Gras?! Get in the purple, green, and gold spirit with provisions shaped by and inspired from the city's rich history and culture. Start off your day with a Ramos gin fizz, and end it on a sweet note with a decadent ice cream bombe topped with flambéed bananas Foster! Here are a few of our Nola favorites; for more, check out all of our Mardi Read more
Even if you don't hail from The Pelican State, there's no better excuse to party before the Lenten season than with Mardi Gras — after all, the purple, green, and gold only come out once a year! Live music and Krewe parades are but a few reasons why the debaucherous Carnival scene in New Orleans brings hundreds of thousands of visitors each early Spring, but undoubtedly, the biggest draw is the Read more
Couldn't make it to Mardi Gras this year? If you're lamenting the fact that today's Fat Tuesday and the French Quarter's a plane ride away, then do what I like to do. Bring the purple, green, and gold to your kitchen instead with a comforting platter of saucy shrimp étouffée. Although some variations of the seafood recipe take hours to cook, enjoy a snappier version, since tonight's a school Read more
Happy Shrove Tuesday! Hope you're enjoying a piece of the Carnival celebration with a festive New Orleanian drink, like the whiskey-based sazerac or its sweeter, fruitier cocktail cousin, the hurricane. Which would you rather imbibe? Would You Rather Drink a Sazerac or a Hurricane? Sazerac Hurricane Read more
Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday in French and in the Catholic tradition it is your last chance to party it up before Lent, the 6 week preparation for Easter. Lent is a somber time, Mardi Gras's antithesis and it lasts a lot longer too. During Lent you are supposed to abstain from earthly pleasures or give up bad habits and indulgences to make your life more simple and "clean." Now religion and Read more
Every year on Fat Tuesday I like to make my version of Jambalaya, a Cajun inspired rice dish with fish and sausage. I love Jambalaya because it's the South's take on Spain's paella. There are many variations and usually I cook an elaborate, recipe with long steps. Unfortunately this year I have to work late on Fat Tuesday and as much as I would love to, I won't be able to spend several hours Read more
While some may be celebrating Fat Tuesday today by whipping up some of YumSugar's yummy recipes, New Orleans, the city which has always championed the Fat Tuesday festivities, is sill recovering from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Apparently the city is turning to text-messaged donations in an effort to defray the costs of Mardi Gras and of course, rebuild the areas that are still very much Read more
Fat Tuesday is here, which means New Orleans will be decking itself out in bright colors, glittery masks, and, of course, beads. But if all that flash is not your thing, you can still take a cue from the French-infused city with cute and vintage-inspired laptop bags and Kindle sleeves for your gadgets. Check out five options you'll want to carry around long after the last float parades through Read more
