What is Mayhaw you ask? Mayhaw is a fruit that comes from the May Hawthorn tree, found in swamps and low-lying, generally, wet areas of the Southeastern United States. The May Hawthorne begins to ripen in late February and early March; the blossoms are quite pretty and remind me of cherry blossoms. The fruit, which looks something like a cross between a crab apple and a rosehip, ripens in late April and May.

Wild Mayhaw fruit is harvested using boats or what we call pirogues; the limbs of the trees are shaken and the fruit is then gathered in nets. Mayhaw has been harvested for generations by those lucky enough to have the sweet fruit nearby. But the wild trees have dwindled due to development.

Mayhaw has a slightly tannic quality to it. It’s flavor reminds me of rose hips or quince, which makes sense since the May Hawthorne tree is a cousin of the rose. The fruit is processed and made into jams, jellies, syrups, pie fillings, sorbet and even Mayhaw wine. Mayhaw is unique and distinct to this region of the South. It is something I grew up eating on toast for breakfast when I would visit my great aunts in Tensas parish. It brings back fond memories and every year I look forward to May. Mayhaw products are often sold at farmstands along the side of the road in areas where the trees grow. There are a few farmers who sell their products online.

The town of Marion, Louisiana hosts its annual Mayhaw Festival this Mother’s Day weekend on May 10. There will be games, food and of course a Mayhaw jelly making contest.

Easter Sunday is just a few days away. Easter is not only a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus but also a celebration of spring. The most common symbol associated with Easter is the Easter egg. It is thought the Easter egg was originally a pagan symbol associated with fertility and new life and therefore with spring, a time of rebirth and renewal. Eggs may also be symbolic because they were forbidden during lent and therefore celebrated on Easter Sunday. Read more »

The Irish Channel located in Uptown New Orleans was a mostly working class neighborhood originally settled by Irish immigrants in the early 19th century. Irish peasants fleeing the Potato Famine disembarked at the port in New Orleans. Most of the immigrants had little or no money and could not afford to explore the city, so they just settled at their point of disembarkation. They could easily find jobs working in the industries along the river, such as the port, slaughterhouses, cotton presses and sugar refineries. The Irish built simple cottages, now referred to as “shotguns”, along the river and its surrounding area. As they settled in, they opened markets, saloons and bars, some of which still exist today, including Parasol’s the starting point for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Mardi Gras has come to an end but that doesn’t mean things are winding down here in New Orleans, no way. The month of March has many festivals and celebrations to get geared up for. The O’Brian’s, McDaniels and O’Neils along with the rest of us are preparing for the next big holiday, St. Patrick’s Day. We will use any excuse here to have a parade or throw an enormous block party and St. Patrick’s Day is one of our favorite days, so much so we usually celebrate it for several days. Parasol’s Irish Bar located in the Irish Channel is host to the Annual St. Patrick’s Day Block Party, green beer and Guiness flows liberally. Tuxedoed men in marching parades hand out green flowers to women in hopes of getting a kiss.

Mardi Gras-like floats themed for St. Patrick’s Day with leprechauns and pots of gold, lumber down Magazine Street. From a distance it is an odd site to see. You squint just to be sure and then as the float comes closer you realize that they are in fact tossing cabbages, carrots, onions and potatoes along with the traditional beads, doubloons and green paper flowers. That’s right ladies and gentlemen you might just catch a flying cabbage.

If you are having your own St. Patrick’s Day party try a few of these Irish recipes:

IRISH SODA BREAD
POTATO SOUP WITH SMOKED SALMON RELISH
BRAISED CABBAGE WITH CORN BEEF HASH
SHEPHERD’S PIE WITH GARLIC MASHED POTATOES
EMERIL’S ALE
BALLYMALOE IRISH STEW
APPLE OATMEAL CRISP WITH IRISH WHISKEY CREAM

Shamrocks or clovers are a symbol of Ireland and a common motif used for anything Irish especially, St. Patricks Day. The clover is used informally as the badge of Ireland. It is also believed that St. Patrick used the clover in his missionary work to teach the Holy Trinity; the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.

In Irish mythology, Leprechauns are a type of male fairy who take the form of a diminutive old man. They are thought to be mischievous and cunning and enjoy their wealth, storing their treasure crocks of gold. Legeng holds that if you can keep a leprechaun captive you can keep his crock of gold. However, if you do not keep your eye on a leprechaun, he’ll disappear.

Shades of green are customarily worn on St. Patrick’s Day in the United States and Ireland. The shades of green represent the “Emerald Isle” for its lush, emerald colored vegetation. Green is the national color of Ireland and on St. Patrick’s Day cities with large Irish populations like Chicago have been known to go to great lengths to dye the streets and even the Chicago River green.

St. Patrick

St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland despite the fact that he was Scottish, not Irish.
At age 16, he was taken to Ireland as a slave. He was sent to the mountains to be a shepherd. He spent this time reflecting and praying. Six years later he escaped. Over the next several years he pursued spiritual studies throughout Europe. He returned to Ireland as a Christian missionary and set about converting the pagans. According to legend, St. Patrick is said to have driven all the snakes from the isle and he is often depicted with a staff in his hand driving off the serpents. St. Patrick is probably the most well known figure in Christianity.

St. Patrick’s Day was first celebrated in the United States in Boston but the first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in New York City in 1766. The parade in New York was a show of strength and patriotism for the Irish who often suffered racial prejudice and persecution for their religious beliefs. On St. Patrick’s Day the Irish were at liberty to celebrate their culture.

St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner and here in New Orleans we’ll celebrate for days. This year St. Paddy’s day is on Monday so we have all weekend. There will be several parades in New Orleans this weekend; to start off there is the annual St. Patrick’s Parade in the French Quarter on Friday evening. The Irish Channel Parade rolls down Magazine Street on Saturday and if that’s not enough, there is the Maetairie Road parade on Sunday in Old Metairie. Officially St. Patrick’s Day is on Monday, March 17 and more festivities will be held for the Downtown Irish Club Parade.

Since lent is obviously not the time for eating lavish meals, simple dishes and foods are predominant.

The Pretzel - You may think of the pretzel as just another snack food; it also happens to be the classical Lenten bread. Traditionally, pretzels were made from just flour, water and salt at the time fat, eggs and milk were forbidden during lent. The bread was shaped in the form of two arms crossed in prayer to remind us that lent is a time of penitence. The breads were called “little arms” or bracellae in Latin and brezel in German and today we have pretzel. Pretzels were sold on the street by vendors and were often used as a garnish for beer soup and were sometimes given to the poor.

Soup - Soup was a main staple during the Lenten season due to it’s ease of preparation and often simple ingredients. In Poland, a simple vegetable soup or split pea soup was the mainstay. In Germany and Austria beer soup garnished with pretzels was a common Lenten dish.

Hot Cross Buns - Hot Cross Buns are sweet, spiced buns often made with dried fruits, usually currants; they are traditionally eaten on Good Friday. The name originates from the cross piped in icing on the top of the bun. The cross symbolizes the crucifixion of Jesus. Hot Cross Buns are closely associated with England. One legend suggests that an Anglican monk, in the 12th century, piped a cross on the buns to honor Good Friday. He then distributed the buns to the poor as well as the pagans as a means to spread the ministry. Buns have pagan roots and were used to celebrate spring festivals and the cross represented the four quarters of the moon. The buns were easily adapted for Christian use.

If you are participating in the Lenten season, here are a few recipes you might want to try. We have included the traditional Lenten foods as well as a few simple fish dishes.

Old Fashioned Pretzels
Hot Cross Buns
Potato Leek Soup
Turnip Soup with Crispy Crunchy Ham and Cornbread Croutons
Cornmeal Crusted Redfish
Panfried Catfish with Lemon and Garlic

THE SEASON OF LENT
Since we are right in the middle of the Lenten season I thought it would be nice to share a brief history.  For most Christian denominations around the world, lent is a season of repentance and soul searching. It begins on Ash Wednesday which directly follows Mardi Gras or Shrove Tuesday. Lent is the forty day period preceding Easter. It is also thought to represent the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness preparing for his ministry. When counting the forty days we skip Sundays to commemorate the Resurection. Historically, lent was a period when converts were to prepare for baptism and for the faithful to rededicate themselves. It also originally signified Spring, a time of rejuvenation and rebirth. Read more »