Tuesday, February 16, 2021

Happy Mardi Gras! Tomorrow we start Lent and abstinence and fasting, but today, we eat all we can. And maybe drink a little too much.

Damn, I miss parties. I miss being around people. I miss live music. And I miss travel.

No city, of course, does Mardi Gras as well as New Orleans. Tonight, I have jambalaya ready in a big old pot. We are wearing our beads. Husband is playing New Orleans brass band music on the stereo and mixing up some strong Vieux Carrés for us to enjoy.

The family spent Christmas 2018 in New Orleans, and 4 of us attended a cocktail-making class at The Maison on Frenchmen Street, on the edge of the French Quarter. Here’s the recipe for the Vieux Carrés we made that night–they taste great tonight, too.

In a shaker filled with ice, combine 2 dashes Peychaud Bitters, 2 dashes Angostura Bitters, 1 bar spoon of Benedictine, 3/4 ounces rye whiskey, 3/4 ounces cognac, and 3/4 ounces sweet vermouth. Stir, strain, and add fresh ice and a garnish of lemon.