The French are known for their good taste, good food and good wine, a trio that pairs well with Acadiana parties. For the past year, Alliance Française de Lafayette has been teaching Acadiana about all things French, from the language to the food. Its French Cooking Class visited Lucullus Culinary Antiques in Breaux Bridge Jan. 27 to learn more. Lucullus owner and culinary arts author Patrick Dunne and friends greeted Alliance members with champagne and a bilingual presentation on L`art de vivre au dix-huitième siècle: les traditions de la table. Frenchman Zoubir Tabout covered topics from gold forks to artichokes, and of course the champagne was divine. The class, initiated by Françoise de Reyniès, wife of AF Lafayette president and Roggwiller Tannery CEO Bernard de Reyniès, touts participants Virginia Stuller, Jane Gaiennie Miller, Debra Taghehchian and French instructor Fabienne Cowan, who, along with friends Chantal Dowty, Muriel Castille and Robert Smith all enjoyed a toast!
It's getting closer to Carnival time, and the Mardi Gras Indians came through town recently and brought the spirit of New Orleans with them. In what was the liveliest Louisiana Crossroads performance yet, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux and the Mardi Gras Indians took the stage at Vermilionville, joining Anders Osborne and Lafayette drummer Doug Belote for a show that reminded everyone Carnival is just around the corner. The Indians were decked out in some of the most ornate costumes Party Girl's ever seen (the brilliant orange feathers were my fave). Crossroads-goers danced on the sidelines, they danced in the aisles, and one even got up on stage. And no one could help from singing when Big Chief Monk and the gang struck up "Little Liza Jane."
The court at the annual Zeus' Muses Party is getting into the spirit, too. That Krewe of Xanadu is partying hard this year, and Oakbourne was the setting for the outgoing court to induct the new court. The concept of Zeus' Muses involves a little history lesson, so here goes. There were nine muses who were the daughters of Zeus, thus nine women are picked for the court each year. The party celebrates the sisterhood of being a muse, and each "sister" is given a mythological name, like Calliope or Terpsichore, in addition to a role that goes along with the krewe's theme for the year. Last year's "Bling, bling" court dressed to impress, while the 2006 group looked "hotter" than ever. Go Xanadudettes!
Party On! ' PG