Mardi Gras. Fat Tuesday. Karnival.

Mid-winter is a great time to have a little fun. This year, Mardi Gras is Tuesday, February 28. For the next few days, people will be celebrating with parties, parades and rich food. Here at Coffee by the Roast, we'll mark the day with Cafe au Lait and decadent fried treats . Here are some links to help you party like coffee geeks! 

Mardi Gras recipes:

http://www.marthastewart.com/1502592/mardi-gras

http://allrecipes.com/recipes/192/holidays-and-events/mardi-gras/

http://www.saveur.com/cajun-classics-mardi-gras-recipes?image=0

http://www.delish.com/entertaining/g2166/mardi-gras-food-recipes/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/28/fat-tuesday-recipes_n_4873255.html

For those with Eastern European roots, Fat Tuesday wouldn't be complete without paczkis, Polish doughnuts. Here's a recipe and a video for those who'd like to make their own:

https://www.thespruce.com/polish-paczki-doughnuts-recipe-1136411

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD73ogtpqOA

Finally, all of these delicious foods go great with Cafe au Lait. Here's our super-simple recipe:

Brew a strong, dark-roasted coffee (Bourbon St. Brew works well)

Steam or heat milk (whole milk is best)

For each 8 oz serving of Cafe au Lait:

Blend 4 oz of coffee with 4 oz of hot milk and enjoy!