Mardi Gras

Valentine's Day is history, moving on to Mardi Gras. For some folks, Mardi Gras means a one-day celebration on Fat Tuesday itself; for others, that day is just the end of a revelry period that began on thethe Epiphany. And some folks call it Carnival. Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar in Annapolis, for instance, has been wading waist-deep since Jan. 30 in a celebration they're calling Carnaval. The restaurant has been featuring menu specials inspired by street food from South American, Central America and the Caribbean   - chorizo and black bean fritters, Cuban chicken croquettes, Brazilians-style chile-spiked fudge and jibarito short rib sliders, which use flattened fried green plantains stand in for bread.

Valentine's Day is history, moving on to Mardi Gras. For some folks, Mardi Gras means a one-day celebration on Fat Tuesday itself; for others, that day is just the end of a revelry period that began on thethe Epiphany. And some folks call it Carnival. Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar in Annapolis, for instance, has been wading waist-deep since Jan. 30 in a celebration they're calling Carnaval. The restaurant has been featuring menu specials inspired by street food from South American, Central America and the Caribbean   - chorizo and black bean fritters, Cuban chicken croquettes, Brazilians-style chile-spiked fudge and jibarito short rib sliders, which use flattened fried green plantains stand in for bread.

The football season is over. So is Groundhog Day. And Valentine's Day, too. But if any excuse for a party will do, don't forget that Mardi Gras is Tuesday, Feb. 21. And while it may be a little late to book your trip to the Big Easy, you can at least get a taste of it at our local Copeland's of New Orleans. The eatery took up residence in Columbia about 11 years ago and still draws its share of fun-loving folks who enjoy contemporary versions of regional Creole/Cajun fare, as well as more American food, like burgers.

The football season is over. So is Groundhog Day. And Valentine's Day, too. But if any excuse for a party will do, don't forget that Mardi Gras is Tuesday, Feb. 21. And while it may be a little late to book your trip to the Big Easy, you can at least get a taste of it at our local Copeland's of New Orleans. The eatery took up residence in Columbia about 11 years ago and still draws its share of fun-loving folks who enjoy contemporary versions of regional Creole/Cajun fare, as well as more American food, like burgers.

NEW ORLEANS --With the city in dire financial shape because of Hurricane Katrina, companies are lining up for the opportunity to become the first-ever corporate sponsors of New Orleans' Mardi Gras celebration. At least 20 companies are offering to pay $2 million each to help cover the police and cleanup costs for next month's parades and parties, according to MediaBuys LLC, the firm hired to search for underwriters. Such sponsorships are a radical change for what is billed as the nation's biggest free party.

Fells Point is the place to be on Tuesday evening starting at 5 p.m., when a Mardi Gras North celebration brings Fat Tuesday fun to local restaurants and bars. The party benefits the Grant-A-Wish Foundation and the Children's House at Johns Hopkins.Special prices on Pete's Mardi Gras Brew and the taste of Cajun specialties will entertain your tummy, while the band Creole Junction at the Cat's Eye and zydeco tunes at the Full Moon Saloon will entertain your ears. Look also for raffles, Mardi Gras beads and souvenir T-shirts for sale.

Mardi Gras, New Orleans' big party, will go on, organizers say, with parades and festivities slated for Feb. 18 to 28. Among the hotels ready for guests is the Windsor Court, with $969 covering two nights for two in a suite, including breakfast and tax. The "Bed and Beads" package is valid Feb. 17 to 28. (800-262- 2662; www.windsorcourthotel. com.) Another way to whoop it up in the Big Easy is with the Feb. 26 to March 2 "Mardi Gras Mambo" aboard RiverBarge Excursion Lines' 198-passenger vessel.

Even in its battered condition, New Orleans sets gustatory standards. So as Mardi Gras approached, I called a couple of prominent New Orleans restaurateurs for suggestions for wines to pour in my glass. Traditionally the Mardi Gras carnival has roared on for almost two weeks, culminating in indulgent "Fat Tuesday" revelries that precede the beginning of the penitential season of Lent. Lately, life has been hard in the Big Easy as the city attempts to rebuild from the massive destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent flooding.

Scents of savory sausage, freshly cooked pancakes and hot coffee emanated from the church hall at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Rosedale for the annual Shrove Tuesday dinner. Many of the guests donned colorful beads and masks. Like diners at Christian congregations throughout the area, the crowd of about 200 at Prince of Peace dug into steamy stacks, smothered in maple syrup and melting butter — the typical Fat Tuesday meal and the last festive dinner before Lent begins.

MAMOU, La. - Let them toss beads, revel and carouse in the streets of New Orleans; rural Louisiana has its own Mardi Gras. On the day before Ash Wednesday, riders course through the countryside for the traditional Courir de Mardi Gras - the Fat Tuesday Run - collecting ingredients for a community gumbo. When the horsemen arrive at a home, they dance for the household, which sets a chicken free among them. This requires the beggars to give chase, competing to capture the chicken. The horsemen are directed by capitaines, who wear brightly colored capes.

Scents of savory sausage, freshly cooked pancakes and hot coffee emanated from the church hall at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Rosedale for the annual Shrove Tuesday dinner. Many of the guests donned colorful beads and masks. Like diners at Christian congregations throughout the area, the crowd of about 200 at Prince of Peace dug into steamy stacks, smothered in maple syrup and melting butter — the typical Fat Tuesday meal and the last festive dinner before Lent begins.

The official Mardi Gras isn't until next week, but why not start the celebration a little earlier? Find a mask and string on some beads for a Rehoboth Beach Mardi Gras. Cajun cooking, Bourbon Street beverages, parties and live music make up this year's celebration in Rehoboth Beach. There will be special Mardi Gras parties and signature meals all over town, including restaurants serving up their own recipes for a spicy Gumbo Cook-off. The plan: Gather at restaurants featuring authentic New Orleans cuisine in downtown Rehoboth.

Pats like proven vets Ken Murray Baltimore Sun If LaDainian Tomlinson limits his prospective employment to teams capable of winning the Super Bowl, he has reduced his options to a very small field. And then he's going to have to take a very modest contract, given his performance level in 2009 (730 rushing yards, 3.3 per carry, 20 catches) for a very good team. There is a reasonably good chance no Super Bowl contender will offer Tomlinson, 30, that chance.

F at Tuesday is a day I support in a two-fisted manner, with both of my fists covered with powdered sugar. The idea behind Fat Tuesday, or in French, Mardi Gras, is that sinners get one last day of indulgence before facing 40 days of mortification, also known as Lent. I have always been keen on the indulgence aspect of this transaction and pretty feeble on the mortification. Among the foods that shout "pleasure binge," doughnuts lead the chorus. The prime example of a Fat Tuesday doughnut is a beignet.

Half of last Tuesday's Top 10 Places to Celebrate Mardi Gras were bars that had an event on that day. Here are the places on the list where you can still get Cajun- or creole-inspired food. They are, of course, in alphabetical order: 1 Acadiana in Washington. I rarely include D.C. restaurants in our discussions. But there were so few places on today's list that weren't just bars having an event in honor of Mardi Gras, I thought I would mention a restaurant that serves a serious, upscale version of New Orleans food.

HOWARD ZIEFF, 81 Directed 'Private Benjamin' and 'My Girl' Howard Zieff, the film and television commercial director whose works included Private Benjamin and My Girl, died Sunday of Parkinson's disease in Los Angeles. Goldie Hawn, who received an Oscar nomination for best actress for her role in Private Benjamin in 1980, said Mr. Zieff "had a special talent for directing comedies, always a rare gift." Mr. Zieff is also credited with helping to change the face of American commercials in the 1960s with witty slice-of life vignettes, such as his "Spicy Meatball" spot for Alka-Seltzer.

The Ellicott City Restoration Foundation will hold its fourth annual Mardi Gras Magnifique benefit event from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Feb. 24 in the town's historic district. The event, which will be in the format of a traveling happy hour, will benefit the Ellicott City Restoration Foundation, Emory United Methodist church and the Galveston Historical Foundation. Four restaurants - the Ellicott Mills Brewing Company, La Palapa, the Phoenix and the Rumor Mill - will offer drink specials and snacks.

Val Kilmer to be among Mardi Gras royalty at Bacchus parade Actor Val Kilmer will reign as celebrity king when the Krewe of Bacchus parade rolls through New Orleans on Feb. 22, two days before Mardi Gras. Kilmer will be decked out in royal apparel as he rides through the city on a float in the annual parade. "He's very excited," said Bacchus captain Owen "Pip" Brennan, who has been in contact with Kilmer about the event. Kilmer will visit Children's Hospital, a tradition every reigning Bacchus has participated in for the past three decades, Brennan said.