Apple crumble: no wheat flour, no eggs, no frying / Prophylactic self-isolation series. Day 342nd.

About Mardi Gras – folk celebration to drive away the winter

Yesterday, on February 16, 2021, the folk festival Mardi Gras (other names Pancake Tuesday, Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday) was celebrated around the world.

The day after Mardi Gras, Lent begins, which lasts until Easter, during which time fasting is encouraged. However, according to the historical evidence, the celebration has its pagan roots and only later has begun to be closely associated with Christianity.

The purpose of the Mardi Gras celebration is to drive away the winter, to call for spring. By its nature, Mardi Gras is like a carnival – it is a folk holiday not associated with any ecclesiastical rites.

Mardi Gras in Lithuania

In Lithuania, Mardi Gras is famous for masks – one of the main attributes of the Mardi Gras celebration. Each mask had a meaning, a purpose. People believed that ancestral ghosts walked the earth in various forms that could affect their lives.

In the past, MASKS were usually made of tree bark, sheepskin or other fur, animal skulls, and later of paper, cardboard, and other materials. Usually the masks had the features of animals – horses, goats, winches, monkeys, or an old, ugly person – with big nose, or asymmetrical eyes, etc (1).

Pancakes are not the only one traditional food on Mardi Gras, but they are most popular and well-known. These days, as vegan/vegetarian lifestyle gains its popularity (as of September 2020, the total number of vegans in the world is approximately 78 millions, reference 2), people are getting creative to avoid doubtful to health products like wheat flour, or dairy, or eggs even during the traditional celebrations.

The recipe of my almost vegan Apple crumble: no wheat flour, no eggs, no frying!

• 2 apples
• 125 g mascarpone
• vanilla sticks
• cinnamon sticks
• some cardamom cloves
• almonds, 50 g (0.5 cup)
• some strawberries (optional)

How to make it:

1. Peel apples, hollow out apples with an apple corer (or melon baller, or paring knife) so that to get “apple rings”. Crush cardamom cloves with pestle in a mortar, slice vanilla stick
2. Put apple rings and spices into a small pot, add some hot water and simmer till a bit soft (not too soft). It takes around 5 min
3. Meanwhile, mill almonds in a coffee grinder
4. When apple slices are ready – serve hot on a plate with strawberries, mascarpone and almonds!

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References:

1. About Mardi Gras in Lithuania, online source: http://www.ltvirtove.lt/straipsniai.php?lt=uzgaveniu_kaukes
2. This Is How Many Vegans Are In The World Right Now (2020 Update) by Mandy Meyer, 17 September 2020, online source: https://wtvox.com/lifestyle/2019-the-world-of-vegan-but-how-many-vegans-are-in-the-world/#:~:text=Number%20of%20Vegans%20In%20The%20World%202020&text=Based%20on%20the%20most%20recent,world%20is%20approx%2078%20million

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If you like my recipes, you may also like my first cookbook “Festive, Sugar-Free Recipes for Almost Vegans“. Order it on amazon worldwide!

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