Mardi Gras Menu

I'm officially obsessed.

I've been hunting for recipes across the World Wide Web like a mad woman - a chef on a mission.

At this point though, I think I know what I'm preparing for next Sunday's fete - or at the very least, I placed an order through FreshDirect for the ingredients.

Appetizer will be some sort of riff on Crabmeat Ravigote with Cold-Poached Asparagus. Main course will be a variation on the JazzFest classic Crawfish Monica (pictured above), substituting the crawfish for shrimp and adding cremini mushrooms and artichoke hearts to round out the dish. Dessert will be - drumroll please - Camellia Grill's justifiably famous Pecan Pie.

Could always end up dumping the whole "Shrimp" Monica concept for a pot of good ol' Etouffee.

Thoughts? Recommendations? Recipes? All and more are welcome...