And it is in this spirit of devil-be-damned determination that the Marquis Reforma Hotel and Louisiana Office of Tourism, in conjunction with Continental Airlines, launched the eighth straight annual Mardi Gras Cajun and Creole Food Fest at the hotel´s upscale Café Royal Restaurant on Tuesday, Feb. 14.

"This is not just any old Mardi Gras we are celebrating with this four-week food fest," explained Marquis Reforma Food and Beverage Manager Philippe Seguin, who has overseen the annual gastronomic event since its conception in 1999, in an interview.

"This is, in fact, the 150th anniversary of the Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans."

And with such an important anniversary to commemorate, it was only fitting that Chef Don Bergeron, known throughout the southern United States as the "Unofficial Ambassador of Cajun Culture," should be brought back to Mexico for a encore performance of the sumptuous culinary fest he created last year at the hotel.

"What makes New Orleans food so unique is the same cultural diversity that gave birth to the city´s hallmark music, jazz," added Bergeron.

"The city has a varied ethnic and historical heritage which has contributed to the city´s extraordinary cooking style."

Bergeron stressed that, given the city´s recent tragic history, this particular festival will serve a double purpose.

"In addition to sharing our great cooking style with the people of Mexico, we in Louisiana want to take this opportunity to get the word out the New Orleans is open for tourism," he said.

The stout, 30-something chef added that "we may have some work to do yet in rebuilding after Katrina, but we are not about to let a storm get in the way of good food."

Creole and Cajun cooking, which both originated in the Crescent City, "are based on recipes that go back hundreds of years," he said, "and you can be sure that the food in New Orleans today is as good as ever."

Bergeron went on to say that most of the tourist areas of New Orleans, including the French Quarter and the uptown neighborhoods, were not seriously damaged by Katrina, and while some restaurateurs have had to transform their parking lots into makeshift housing for their workers, the eateries themselves are "pretty much the same as they have always been, cooking up the same great dishes that helped make the city famous."

The festival at the Marquis Reforma is a definite sampling of some of the better known Cajun and Creole treats, including gumbo, crab cakes, jambalaya, blackened catfish, bananas foster and Bergeron´s signature bread pudding with rum sauce, which he said is "based on an old family recipe."

The festival runs during lunch Monday through Friday, and there is a rotating menu of more than 25 different dishes, so you can come every day of the week and find something new to try each time.

"New Orleans cooking is like nothing else under the sun," Bergeron said. "It is always made with the freshest and finest ingredients, and generously seasoned with the Holy Trinity of onion, celery and bell peppers, and officiated over by Pope Garlic."

And once you whet your appetite for Cajun and Creole cooking, he said, you´ll be even more inclined to visit New Orleans and discover the city´s many charms.

"And remember," he concluded, "the best time to visit New Orleans is whenever you can."

therese@prodigy.net.mx