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Introduction…….The First Annual Pali Crawfish Boil
Welcome to our After Mardi Gras……April Fools Party. We’ve been to New Orleans several times in our lives.
Our first time was on different occasions and not with each other. But we both had the same impression. It
seemed a bit old, dirty, and not what we thought it would be. Now each time we go back the city begins to
grow on you and you begin to understand what it’s appeal and captivity over people has been for several
centuries. We want to share a little of the experience with you today. So put on some beads (a popular
custom), and a mask, try some of the foods, and have a little foolish fun. "Nawlins" may not be the best city
in the states, but it has a great attitude about life. To Enjoy it. You may not think Cajun food has the greatest
taste, but give it a try and if you don’t like it there’s always hot dogs and hurricanes.

The Food, the music, the history……….
Today’s menu includes a crawfish boiled (with red potatoes, onions, & corn), a seafood jambalaya, shrimp gumbo,
king cakes, red beans & rice, and for the "non-nawlins" person (whimps) there are hot dogs for the kid. The
drink of the day are hurricanes, a sweet fruit punch type of drink common to the mardi gras experience. There
are also sodas and beers. So eat and laugh much. They say that oatmeal is food that sticks to your ribs. Cajun
food will stick to your stomach. The music of New Orleans of course is jazz. It’s birthplace. So the background
music is jazz. The dessert of king cake has some interesting facts. If you get the baby you get to be king or
queen for the day and bake the next king cake for the next crawfish boil or hurricane party. The history of
the some of the food and other items is on the back if you want to read about it.

Directions for eating crawfish……

Step one Step two

Step three Step four: Suck the head or drink a lots
of beer.

Laissez le bon temps roulee!! Let the good times roll!!

Eating Crawfish is considered a complex art form in certain parts of the world. To help you better enjoy your eating experience, we have developed these comprehensive sets of instructions which will allow you to more easily consume the favorite little "mud bug" (a Cajun term for Crawfish) Directions: After all the crawfish are boiled and ready to eat, pour them out onto a table covered by old newspaper. Grab one that's not too hot and hold it in your left hand. Place the head between your thumb and forefinger. Next, grab the tail with your right hand. Place your thumb under the "belly" of the tail and wrap your forefinger over the top of the tail. Twist and pull. The tail should pop off. What should you do with the head? You have three options. If you want, just throw it away, but try to ignore the real Cajuns who will laugh at you. Cajuns will suck the spicy water (juice) straight from the head. For the truly daring, suck the head, then remove the fat from the head by scooping it out with your finger and eat that as well... definitely a Cajun secret. Now peel off the first "ring" or so of the tail shell. Now you should be able to extract the meat from the remaining shell. Eat and enjoy. With practice, this goes very quickly.
Gumbo Guide, It's not soup, dawlin', it's gumbo! Well, okay, it is soup. But it's a very special "stewy" kind of soup filled with wonderful things, and it's a hallmark dish of Louisiana. Ask any New Orleanian who makes the best gumbo, and without hesitation the reply will be "My mama!" There even have been fist-fights over this kind of mumbo-gumbo. Would I lie? With 2000 Mardi Gras and parades starting to roll weeks before, gumbo becomes an important part of the local diet, warming parade-watchers with its rich, spicy goodness. So what in the world is it? Webster defines gumbo as "1: Okra. 2: A soup thickened with okra pods and usually containing vegetables with meat or seafoods." Webster's fifth meaning is "Mixture, melange." And it is. . all of the above. Okra, for the uninitiated, is a tropical plant from which come the green, finger-shaped pods that are cut up and used in many gumbos. Some gumbos are actually thickened with okra alone, because of its viscous texture when cooked. Other gumbos rely solely on the roux, which is the heart and soul of most gumbos. A roux is a mixture of flour or other starch with fat - usually butter or oil - used for thickening and flavoring gumbos and other dishes. There are different colors of roux, each achieved by cooking the mixture at various heats and lengths of time. It is the product of a variety of cultures including indigenous Indians, French and Spanish settlers, and African slaves. The word "gumbo," in fact, is a derivation of the African word gombo, meaning "okra." In his book, "The American Dictionary of Food and Drink," food historian John F. Mariani wrote: "The word gumbo first appears in American print in 1805, and throughout the nineteenth century the dish is mentioned with affection and relish." Gumbo (from "kingombo", African word for okra). This vegetable was brought to New Orleans by African slaves, considered to have both spiritual and health properties. The work "Cajun" comes to us from "Acadia," the name given a 17th century colony of French settlers in eastern Canada. In the mid-18th century, thousands of Acadians were exiled and found their way to Louisiana.
A LITTLE JAMBALAYA HISTORY: Similar in many ways to Spanish paella, the term "jambalaya" is derived from the Spanish jamón for ham. Jambalaya found its way into Creole cookery in the late 1700's where it soon took on the flavor of added local ingredients. The Jambalaya Festival and World Champion Jambalaya Cooking contest is held annually at Gonzales and attracts area cooks who have spent years perfecting the are of cooking and seasoning this Creole delicacy. Gonzales really is the Jambalaya Capital of The World. Jambalaya is a spicy rice based one-pot meal that combines a variety of seafood, meats, & vegetables. Jambalaya is a Spanish-Creole dish, which is a great favorite in New Orleans. The King Cake Traditionally was served on "Little Christmas" or "Kings' Day" other names for the Feast of the Epiphany, celebrated Jan. 6. Since Epiphany comes on the twelfth day of the Christmas celebration, it also became known as Twelfth Night. Today, the cake is served throughout the "Epiphany season," or until Mardi Gras. Latin Americans, like New Orleanians, place a figure representing the Christ child inside the cake. In other cultures, the king cake might contain a coin, bean, pecan or pea. In medieval France, the coin finder was expected to make a contribution to a worthy cause, usually the education of a deserving youngster. In some parts of Europe, those who find the bean and pea are king and queen for the day. In New Orleans, the person who receives the piece of cake containing a "baby" must provide the king cake for the next gathering of the season. Today king cakes with an unprecedented array of fillings and flavorings have outdistanced the sugared one in popularity.
Red Beans & Rice Red beans and Rice has become a Monday tradition. Throughout the city, the aroma of this basic dish wafts from kitchens of restaurants and homes. Just about every New Orleans native has his own method of cooking Red Beans and Rice, and believes that his way is the best.

Mardi Gras Party
It was April Fools Day in the year 2000. At the Pali Pad
were many foolish & funny people acting in very strange ways.
They were drinking very foolish drinks & eating foolish food.
It really was a funny & foolish night to behold. April Fools!!


Lottie, Kathie, Deb................................Nechia Sucking Head

Dale and His Friend....Leeemon...............Heather, the Queen for the day and
................................................makes the king Cake for next year.

Your Hosts..... The Palis, Higgins, Rikki

Mr. Mardi Gras...............................Mrs. Hurricane

Holly, "Other Pat", Tammy,Tustin.....................Charlie, Lottie, Nechia
Foolish Couples



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