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Since food is one of the essential ingredients to a New Orleans
lifestyle, it makes perfect sense that the old custom of Revillion Dinner be
revived. Of course it looks different now.
Instead of being served in homes, it's available in 26 restaurants, instead
of fasting first'; you can begin in whatever condition you choose; you don't
have to go to church first and you can have it every night in December.
Brennan's,
which is world renown for breakfast, and a short walk from the Hotel
Monteleone, seemed like the perfect choice. You see, Revillion Dinner is
really breakfast. Confused? Let me explain.
The origins of the meal date back to the 1800s when Creole families
traditionally went to midnight mass at St.
Louis Catherdral on Christmas and New Years Eves.
St. Louis Cathedral on
Jackson Square
For the two weeks preceding Christmas, fasting was
required. After
the mass, |
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families gathered to enjoy a feast that often lasted
until sunrise. The meal was actually a breakfast with the menu
revolving around eggs, which were scrambled, poached, and sautéed.
Rich pastries, bathed in cream and wine accompanied the meal along with
whiskeys and wines for the men and liquors for the ladies.
The women often had contests to see who could prepare the best daube
glace, a gelatin type mixture with pigs feet, spices, boiled vegetables,
shredded, beef and veal (sorry, I didn't get the recipe).
The meal ended with more rich pastries, puddings and liquors.
At Brennan's we are seated
by the window looking out on a lush courtyard. The waiter is
elegant and smartly slips big oversized menus in our hands while asking
"to drink?"
I have a Manhattan, my special occasion drink and Dub orders Crown on
the Rocks.
With the revival of the tradition also came strict guidelines about
adhering to accurate food and preparation. Restaurants choosing to
serve the dinner are required to submit their menu for historical
accuracy, and although they aren't required to wrap the food in cheese
cloth, they may not use modern or trendy titles, such as 'salsa', for
example, which did not exist in the 1800's.
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Brennan's is located at 417 Royal
Street. The building where it is located, has a colorful
history
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Each restaurant has at least four courses with unique selections. At
Brennan's we have seven courses, each with choices.
For starters, we have Turtle Soup followed by Eggs Sardou. Next a
Jackson Salad before Rack of Lamb. Wine is included.
(Brennan's has a wine
cellar with 35,000 bottles and 3000 different kinds of wine).
For Dessert we choose Bananas Foster because it is their specialty.
The waiter brings a little stove to our table and begins sautéing
bananas in butter and spices before pouring rum and igniting the whole pan
for a celebrity finale with coffee or eggnog.
Are we full yet?
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Brennan's is happy to share their
recipe
for
Banana's Foster. |
If you ask a New Orleans native about Reveillon
Dinner, they may look at you blankly, because the tradition probably
wasn't part of their upbringing. If you ask me, it's time to add it back.
Coming Next! Meet the Queen
of Pralines! But
first. . .
Let's
Go!
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