1. Shrimp Creole
This classic Louisiana Creole shrimp and rice dish is the perfect culinary complement to any Mardi Gras celebration. You may not be able to celebrate in New Orleans, but you can bring the holiday to Notre Dame with just a pinch of cayenne seasoning, vegetables, shrimp and white rice. So wear some festive purple, green and gold beads around your neck and celebrate with delicious New Orleans cuisine before the Lenten fast begins
2. Easter Candy
Luckily, the wonderful workers at the Huddle have put out the Easter candy in time to gorge on before Lent and Spring Break diets start. Whether your poison is pure sugar or chocolate, you are covered with a selection ranging from Peeps to caramel-filled eggs. These treats are perfect for pick-me-ups in between classes or late night indulgences. Feast away!
3. Beignets
While beignet literally means "bump" in French, it's more fondly known as the deep-fried, smothered-with-powdered-sugar pastry. Beignets are an essential part of any Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans. You can buy them stuffed with fruit or maple fillings, covered in frosting. It's like a donut married a cake and had powdered-sugar beautiful children together. They are best served with a nice cappuccino or hot chocolate. Beignets are the bomb.
4. Shamrock Shakes
You may not be quite in the mood for St. Patrick's Day celebrations just yet, but its never too early for a Shamrock Shake. To make up for no-meat Firdays, why not treat yourself to the perfect minty treat courtesy of your neighborhood McDonald's? Even for mint-phobes, this shake is the perfect antidote to perma-cloud blues, with the sweet overpowering the mint for a dessert to please all.
5. King Cake
One of the best traditions of Mardi Gras is the colorful king cake. This is the centerpiece covered in purple, yellow and green sprinkles and frosting. The cake is usually baked in a twisted version of the bundt cake. Not only is this dessert delicious, but each cake hides a small toy baby. Whoever has the piece with the baby in it is the king for the night. Varieties include cream cheese, praline, cinnamon, strawberry, chocolate and more.
