Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, began in medieval Europe as a celebration of the upcoming lent. The original name for the celebration was “Beouf Gras” which translates to fattened cow. It was customary at the time for parishioners to give up meat for lent. Only recently has it become popular to give up other items such as fast food, candy or soda. On Fat Tuesday it is customary for Christians to consume a large amount of the food they will be giving up so that they can abstain until Holy Tuesday. So, the original celebration gets its name from the fattened cow that the parishioners feasted on before abstaining from meat for six weeks.
Purdon’s Rental & Sales invited us over for their Mardi Gras party last night and it was right on theme! Their event showroom was decorated with gold, emerald green and plum purple. On the entrance table there was a traditional king cake from Martine’s Pastries and all around it were shiny beaded necklaces and masks. They even included a themed table at the front of the show room.
Type A Catering provided the authentic New Orleans cuisine that set the mood for the event. The appetizers included traditional mini muffuletta sandwiches, crab hush puppies and grilled chicken skewer. The star of the spread was the make-it-yourself gumbo which included the broth, rice, andouille sausage, tomatoes and okra, hot sauce and green onion. And for dessert there was warm Banana Foster bread pudding.
I was very appreciative of Diane from Type A making the gumbo a DIY station because I normally can’t eat gumbo because it includes shellfish. I love when caterers accommodate those with dietary restrictions. We had a fun evening networking with vendors and drinking some specialty cocktails! Big thanks to the Purdon’s team for hosting!
