Ruffino’s chef headed to Washington Mardi Gras

Among the many Louisianans heading to the nation’s capital this weekend for the influential Washington Mardi Gras will be Ruffino’s Executive Chef and co-owner Peter Sclafani. The Baton Rouge-based chef will prepare Louisiana crawfish cheesecake for more than 3,000 attendees at the “Louisiana Alive” kick-off event tonight at the Washington Hilton. Sclafani will also spread the word about his forthcoming cookbook, The Seasons of Louisiana, expected to be released at the end of the year. Sclafani and Ruffino’s owner Ruffin Rodrigue will also serve Sclafani’s dishes at the “Let the World be Your Oyster” event to promote Louisiana seafood. Sclafani will prepare butter poached Gulf oysters with crčme fraiche, pickled red onion and cucumber caviar made by the molecular gastronomy technique known as spherification, a favorite method of Sclafani’s. The chef will also distribute a limited run of the first chapter of his cookbook and will pass out recipe cards to thousands of patrons expected to attend the annual event. Washington Mardi Gras is a 60-year-old annual gathering in Washington, D.C., hosted by the Mystick Krewe of Louisianians. —Maggie Heyn Richardson