As we turn to the penitential season of Lent, we enjoy one last day of feasting. On this day, medieval Christians used up their eggs, butter, and milk--all of which were forbidden during Lent--by making pancakes and pastries.
Learn more about Fat Tuesday traditions from around the world, and try some of these delicious recipes at home. All of them are relatively simple, and they are a great way to remind us that our own Lenten fasting is minor compared with that of Christians in ages past.
Paczki Day in Poland
Barb Rolek, the About.com Guide to Eastern European Food, has the scoop on Poland's Fat Tuesday traditions. While the Poles and other Eastern Europeans made their own crepe-like pancakes, their preferred method of using up dairy products before Lent was the paczki, a rich donut usually (though not always) filled with jam (usually prune or raspberry). Similar to the German bismarck or berliner, these round rolls (pronounced "punch-key") are made with a yeast-raised egg batter.
But paczki aren't all that's cooking on Fat Tuesday in Poland. Check out the links below for other delicious treats!
Pancake Day in London
In England, the Pancake Day tradition continues, and both Laura Porter, the About.com Guide to London Travel, and Elaine Lemm, the Guide to British & Irish Food, have articles on Pancake Day in London and Britain at large. You can find tips on cooking pancakes (and more recipes) on Carroll Pellegrinelli's About.com Guidesite to Desserts and Baking.
Mardi Gras in Louisiana
Of course, no celebration of Fat Tuesday in the United States would be complete without a nod to our own Mardi Gras Celebration in Louisiana. Diana Rattray, the About.com Guide to Southern Food, has a wonderful collection of Louisiana recipes that are perfect for Mardi Gras and reflect New Orleans' French heritage, from which the Mardi Gras celebration in the city is derived.Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, the About.com Guide to Home Cooking, offers another collection of Mardi Gras Recipes and Food, along with some information about the difference between Cajun and Creole cooking and the "King Cake" tradition of Mardi Gras.
BONUS: Activities to Aid Digestion
Children love eating breakfast for supper, and Fat Tuesday/Pancake Day is a good way to prepare them for the fasting and abstinence of Ash Wednesday. And once the food has been eaten, Pancake Day Puzzles and activities to celebrate Mardi Gras can help them learn a little bit more about this last day of feasting before Lent.
