It's time to start shakin and bakin...Mardi Gras is March 8, so there's still time to get in lots of slices of king cake.  I suggest you try making one, if you're into really big, scrumptious art projects that go great with coffee.  I also believe that a warm Sunday afternoon is the perfect time to try it.

I've made this RECIPE several times now, and I declare it pretty foolproof. The dough has wonderful flavor from the nutmeg and lemon zest added to it (plus a ton of butter).  I'm not going to repost the whole recipe here, because I've never made any changes to it--I'm no tinkerer when it comes to baking.  But I do have some hints about how to form and shape it without ending up covered in gloopy dough.  Thanks to Paul for taking dozens of photos!

P.S.  Get some Cafe du Monde or French Market coffee for this!

continue reading...

Crawfish has two usages as a verb in Webster's: one is to catch crawfish, and another is to back out of something you've committed to. But I'm proposing a third definition: to crawfish is to celebrate the deliciousness of the little creatures by churning out as many recipes as you can in one weekend and stuffing yourself full of their glory. And with that definition in place, I can honestly say I have been doing a lot of crawfishing lately.