The View held a dinner event Tuesday in honor of Mardi Gras and the beginning of Lent that included Creole and Cajun-inspired dishes such as catfish po boy sandwiches, pork jambalaya and hushpuppies.
Mardi Gras is a traditional Christian event held on Fat Tuesday, the day before Lent begins. It carries a tradition of eating a large meal of meats and fats before going into Lent, where fasting traditionally occurs.
“Designing the menu, we really took that from classic French culture and blended it with the Cajun cuisine. So, a lot of using the holy trinity of vegetables, which is green pepper, onions and celery–the base of all Creole and Cajun cooking,” Executive Chef Ben McCallum said.
The event gave students a chance to experience the Catholic tradition that inspired the event.
“It’s really based around Catholic Tradition. … It really signified people clearing out their stores and getting ready for their fasts. Fat Tuesday was very much put around ‘let’s get all the meat and fat out so it doesn’t tempt us as we move to Lenten season,’” McCallum said.
Because of its cultural and religious significance, some St. Thomas students really looked forward to the event.
“It really spices up the taste of the View. You can get a different perspective of some different cultures around the world that you normally wouldn’t in Minnesota,” junior Hunter Koenig said. “I think it’s very important to experience other cultural foods, and I think it’s good to know other peoples’ cultures.”
Ben Hogan can be reached at hoga1306@stthomas.edu.