In February of 2020, I went to New Orleans for the first time and became obsessed. I fell in love with every part of that city, but mostly the people. I know that it sounds cliche to say “oh, the people”, but it is true for New Orleans. From the first interaction of getting into a cab at the airport, every person in New Orleans that I interacted with was amazing. Every Uber driver gave great recommendations, places to eat that were not tourist traps. Things to see that were known by locals and not on the tourist websites. Yes, I did the touristy things as well. I did a cemetery tour, I spent one night on Bourbon Street, and I went to Cafe du Monde. I also sat in dive bars inside neighborhoods, diners, and locally owned businesses, and spoke with people who live there. No, I did not tour the Hurricane Katrina wreckage. Why is that a thing? Why would you pay money to go on a tour to see someone’s life destroyed? I will never understand that.

It coincidentally happened to be the Krewe du Vieux while we were there. If you have not heard of this before (I had not either), the Krewe du Vieux is kind of like Mardi Gras, but on a much smaller scale, and takes place before Mardi Gras. The floats are handmade, smaller, and non-motorized. The float themes often satirize local politics and customs. The Krewes use human-drawn floats, and they have live brass bands that walk the parade as well. While I have never been to the actual Mardi Gras, I cannot imagine it being better than Krewe. I would recommend that to everyone as a better, more local, less crowded option. Even during this crowded event, a friend of mine went to the restroom, and it was still very crowded, so they were gone for a long time, and I got increasingly nervous being a woman alone in this crowd. The group of people next to me picked up on this and invited me to join them, talked to me, and they told me the history of Krewe, and kept me safe until my friend returned. For me, this is New Orleans in a nutshell. It’s the people, people, people.

HOWEVER, it’s also the food! I mean, why are we here, really, right?? When I got home, I couldn’t stop thinking about the delicious food I ate, and I needed to bring that part home with me. Let the tradition begin! I decided I needed to host a Mardi Gras (or maybe a Krewe du Vieux party) every year. Cook the food, put up the beads, let’s do this thing! This section of the website is me sharing what I do in my own kitchen, but for this post, I’m going to share the links to the recipes I made, and the pictures of the results.

What NOLA dinner is not completed by cornbread? Here is a link for the recipe I use, and it turns out delicious every time. https://stripedspatula.com/buttermilk-cornbread/?utm_source=discover&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=web_story&_gl=1*uxay6s*_ga*QWNOSGtlcG1wc2E2c0h0RXVBQ0RyXzQ1aTBfeG9BMFMxWDA2QTNkZnNvTXRDZWM2czkwRTRpVk9FeWRya2hzVA.

Hot Muffuletta Dip anyone? This one is one that I crave!! https://spicysouthernkitchen.com/hot-muffaletta-dip/

You can’t have a Mardi Gras party without gumbo. This recipe has become my favorite. https://www.jessicagavin.com/chicken-andouille-sausage-gumbo/

I know that it might not be technically traditional, but Popeye’s chicken was started in NOLA. Here’s a recipe to make their chicken at home! https://www.thekitchn.com/popeyes-fried-chicken-23003827

This jambalaya hits the spot and is a crowd favorite! https://www.swankyrecipes.com/creole-chicken-and-sausage-jambalaya-from-a-nola-local.html

No Mardi Gras party would be complete without a king cake! I bought a package of babies from Amazon (you hide the baby after baking inside the cake. Whoever gets the piece with the baby is supposed to host the next party, but it always ends up being put on my plate somehow). https://owlbbaking.com/king-cake/

King Cake - Don’t forget to hide the baby after baking!

Add your favorite vegetable and biscuit recipe, and you have one heck of a dinner!

My trip to New Orleans was a blast and has led me to create so many new memories that I didn’t know were possible until I went there. I encourage you to bring back a piece of your travels to your own kitchen and share with your loved ones.

Blame it on the Beignets: How One Trip to NOLA Turned Me Into a Mardi Gras Hostess for Life