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Thursday, February 5, 2015
I can smell the barbecue pork that’s already smoking on the
pit as we meet at the KC Hall, 503 E. Highway 90, in the town of Iowa,
Louisiana, around 9 a.m. to pay our $10 fee to ride in the parade.
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| Smoked meats like sausage and tasso are popular in Cajun Country. |
Everyone is
milling around in their Courir de Mardi Gras costumes made of rags and visiting
as final preparations are made with the decorations on the trailers.
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| Cory Cart and Lysa Allman-Baldwin enjoy the festivities atop bales of hay in the back of a trailer on the parade route! |
We are in the small town of Iowa, Louisiana for the Iowa Chicken Run on Mardi Gras Day. The parade rolls at 10 a.m.
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| The parade stops at a member of the community's home while Zydeco music is played and everyone dances. If the family approves the dancing skills, they donate ingredients for the gumbo. |
Right as the captain stops the parade at a particular home and blows his whistle, he tosses a chicken in the air and the children in the parade chase the chicken! There is a lot of whooping, hollering and dancing that takes place during the process! It’s quite an honor to catch the chicken.
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| Children chase the chickens in Iowa, La. |
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| Lee Peck with KPLC-TV interviews the child who caught the first chicken. |
It’s a family affair. Rodney Victorian, Berline and Kimmy Bellard welcome us with open arms. There’s no pomp and circumstance or sequined costumes. This is a true, Cajun Country Mardi Gras with laughter, festivity and music that gets your adrenaline pumping.
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| Berline Bellard encourages the cook stirring the gumbo pot. |
My favorite part about the Iowa Chicken Run is how it cuts through the lines of age, race and socioeconomics. There is no king or queen. The chicken run exemplifies true community spirit and living life to the fullest.
For more information on the Iowa Chicken Run, click here.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
By Elizabeth Eustis
King cake spinoffs have become a seasonal trend. Everything from king cake hamburger buns to boudin king cakes are being seen in Louisiana. There are even local businesses creating their own Mardi Gras masterpieces.
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| Photo by David Hill |
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| Botsky's Krewe de Patete Douce |
Pops and
Rockets released their king cake popsicle, Alive and King Cake (a play on
Simple Minds’ hit “Alive and Kicking”). This fresh treat has all the flare of
Mardi Gras with bold cinnamon spice and cool cream cheese. Check it out at the Cash and Carry Farmer's Market!
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| Pops and Rockets' Alive and King Cake Popsicle |
I have also heard people talk about a king cake cheesecake
from SweetChic
Cupcakes. To me, this version is all the wonderfulness of the rich, creamy
filling of at king cake but with less bread which means I CAN EAT MORE! Who can
argue with that?!
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| SweetChic's King Cake Cheesecake |
To complete my Mardi Gras spinoff feast, I found Community
Coffee’s Mardi Gras King Cake flavored coffee, Blue
Bell’s Mardi Gras King Cake ice cream, and Abita Mardi Gras Bock.
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But let’s not forget about the traditional king cake. These
cakes originated in Europe as part of Epiphany celebrations held 12 nights
after Christmas. Louisiana Creoles began serving the cakes of bioche dough
(yeast, butter and eggs) at Twelfth Night balls. The person receiving the lucky
slice, which concealed an object (usually a ring or bean), was crowned king or
queen of the ball. Throughout the years, the king cake tradition has endured.
The cakes are available in every bakery and supermarket during Carnival season
and are as varied as the customers who choose them.
King cakes are special pastries unique to our culture and
will always hold a dear place in my heart. For a chance to win a traditional
king cake in time for Fat Tuesday, visit www.visitlakecharles/kingcake
to enter the King Cake Sweepstakes!
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