I started the Krewe of Red Beans Parade as an homage not only to the New Orleans culinary tradition of Red Beans & Rice, but to the Mardi Gras Indians and second-line parades. It’s all about co-mingling all the different influences of the city. Krewe members must create a new bean costume each year. We’re now sponsored by Camellia Brand – they supply all of our beans! We march on Lundi Gras (the Monday before Mardi Gras) every year.
See Devin’s “Feed the Krewe” Red Beans Recipe.
In my home country of Brazil, we have a black bean stew called “Feijoada” cooked with meats in a similar style to how New Orleanians cook red beans. Here are my black bean stew and collard greens recipes from my cookbook, I Learned to Read with Recipe Books, that follows my journey as a cook from an early age when my grandmother read recipes to me, and my blog, www.sundayflavorclub.com, which shares the things I cook every Sunday for large gatherings of friends and family.
Mandina’s Restaurant has been proudly serving Camellia red beans and rice at our location on Canal Street in the Mid-City neighborhood of New Orleans since 1932. Some things should never change.
Monday’s mean one thing.
I was on a Navy submarine in the South China Sea during Vietnam; my father sent me a huge box of Camellia red beans – so many that I gave the cooks our family recipe and hosted a red beans & rice dinner (with French bread and spiced pork chops) for the whole crew. I can’t tell you our exact position, but we were at a depth where many sea critters turn on their headlights.