LIFESTYLES EDITOR

Kali Bradford

The final day of Carnival season, known as Mardi Gras, takes place on Tuesday. Carnival season began on Jan. 6, which is also known as Kings Day (Feast of the Epiphany).

Mardi Gras, French for Fat Tuesday, is the day before Ash Wednesday, which launches the 40 days of the season of Lent in the Christian tradition.

A Colorful History

Mardi Gras dates back thousands of years to pagan spring and fertility rites. The final day of the Carnival season, it is celebrated in many countries around the world mainly those with large Roman Catholic populations on the day before the religious season of Lent begins. Brazil, Venice and New Orleans play host to some of the holidays most famous public festivities, drawing thousands of tourists and revelers every year. -Photo Provided

According to the website, mardigrasneworleans.com, historians believe that the first American Mardi Gras took place on March 3, 1699, when the French explorers Iberville and Bienville landed in what is now Louisiana, just south of the holidays future epicenter, New Orleans.

They held a small celebration and dubbed the spot Point du Mardi Gras. In the decades that followed, New Orleans and other French settlements began marking the holiday with street parties, masked balls and lavish dinners.

When the Spanish took control of New Orleans, however, they abolished these rowdy rituals, and the bans remained in force until Louisiana became a state in 1812.

On Mardi Gras in 1827, a group of students donned colorful costumes and danced through the streets of New Orleans, emulating the revelry theyd observed while visiting Paris.

Ten years later, the first recorded New Orleans Mardi Gras parade took place, a tradition that continues to this day.

In 1857, a secret society of New Orleans businessmen called the Mistick Krewe of Comus organized a torch-lit Mardi Gras procession with marching bands and rolling floats, setting the tone for future public celebrations in the city.

Since then, krewes have remained a fixture of the Carnival scene throughout Louisiana. Other lasting customs include throwing beads and other trinkets, wearing masks, decorating floats and eating King Cake.

Louisiana is the only state in which Mardi Gras is a legal holiday. However, elaborate carnival festivities draw crowds in other parts of the United States during the Mardi Gras season as well, including Alabama and Mississippi. Each region has its own events and traditions.

Senior Center sets Mardi Gras, Black History Month celebration

The Coffee County Senior Citizens Center in Tullahoma will hold a celebration marking both Mardi Gras and Black History month at 6 p.m. on Friday in the activities room at the senior center.

We are celebrating black history and we thought with it being February, we would add a little flare by adding Mardi Gras with it, said center executive director Vickie Fulmer.

We are doing a lot of Mardi Gras-themed foods along with having the talented local band Utopia come and perform for us. We want everyone to know they are welcome to come and join in on the festivities.

Lead singer for Utopia J.T. Northcutt said the group is excited to come and perform for the celebrations.

Tullahoma is home for us and this is a great cause. We are just glad to give back to the community. There would be no us without the community, said Northcutt.

Northcutt also points out what both of the events have in common.

Its important to point out that Mardi Gras and that style of music is not that far removed from R&B, soul, jazz and other forms of the music. Both were influences of each other, he said.

Fulmer added that Fridays event is free to the public.

We want everyone to come and have a great time, she said. This is a family friendly event that all ages can enjoy. Also come out and see what we are doing here at the senior center. Lots of activities for everyone.

The Coffee Country Senior Center is located at 410 N. Collins St. in Tullahoma.

Last Hurrah Recipes

With Ash Wednesday marking the beginning of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting before Easter, Mardi Gras is the last hurrah of sorts, with participants indulging in their favorite fatty foods and drinks before giving them up.

Check out the following recipes to celebrate Mardi Gras appropriately.

King Cake

Ingredients

2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast

1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

1/2 cup butter, melted

5 egg yolks

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

2 cups confectioners sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon multicolored candy sprinkles

Directions

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and white sugar in warm milk. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

Stir the egg yolks and melted butter into the milk mixture. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, nutmeg and lemon zest.

Beat the flour mixture into the milk/egg mixture 1 cup at a time. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 8 minutes.

Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese and 1/2 cup confectioners sugar. Mix well. In another small bowl, combine the remaining 2 cups confectioners sugar, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons milk. Mix well and set aside.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Roll the dough out into a 630 inch rectangle. Spread the cream cheese filling across the center of the dough.

Bring the two long edges together and seal completely. Using your hands shape the dough into a long cylinder and place on a greased baking sheet, seam-side down.

Shape the dough into a ring press the baby into the ring from the bottom so that it is completely hidden by the dough. Place a well-greased 2 pound metal coffee can the center of the ring to maintain the shape during baking. Cover the ring with a towel and place in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove the coffee can and allow the bread to cool. Drizzle cooled cake with lemon/sugar glaze and decorate with candy sprinkles.

Andouille, Shrimp and Chicken Jambalaya

Ingredients

3 cups chicken broth, divided

1 1/2 cups white rice

1 pound andouille sausage, diced

1 large sweet onion (such as Vidalia(R)), chopped

3 green onions, or to taste, chopped

1 cup chopped celery

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

2 tablespoons Creole seasoning

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon hot sauce

ground black pepper to taste

1 (14.5 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 cooked whole chicken breast, shredded

1 cup chicken broth

Directions

Bring 3 cups chicken broth and rice to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.

Heat cast-iron Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook and stir andouille sausage in hot pot until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove sausage from the pot with a slotted spoon, retaining any drippings in the pot.

Saut sweet onion, green onions, celery, and bell pepper in the sausage drippings until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Season vegetable mixture with Creole seasoning, minced garlic, hot sauce, and black pepper; cook for 1 minute more.

Pour tomato sauce and diced tomatoes over the vegetable mixture; stir and add shrimp, shredded chicken, browned sausage, and 1 cup chicken broth into the tomato mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook at a simmer until he shrimp are no longer translucent, 10 to 15 minutes.

Scoop rice into bowls and ladle jambalaya over the rice.

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Mardi Gras brings on the fun - Tullahoma News and Guardian