Next Tuesday is Mardi Gras, y'all! Time to break out the beads, crank up the Zydeco music and dig in to some soulful New Orleans cooking. There's nothing like New Orleans food, with its multi-cultural influences - French, Spanish, Italian, African. A true melting pot of flavors. And there is such LOVE in the food. Often starting with a roux - 30 minutes (a "3-beer roux" as Boo Macomber would say) of constantly stirring that magical base for classics like Gumbo and Jambalaya. Worth every stir. If you've never been to New Orleans, book that flight and start planning your eating itinerary! In the meantime, enjoy some of this week's dishes.