WWC: It's Fat Tuesday!

Courtesy of Odd Mix, the words are View and Conceal.

It has become a tradition for Willi and I to enjoy Fat Tuesday with our own New Orleans style cooking. The celebration begins for us on Monday evening when we make King Cake to share with our co-workers Tuesday morning.

King Cake is a Mardi Gras tradition and has a rich history dating back to the eighteenth century, coming from France and Spain along with the colonists.

The yeast dough is a sweet mixture of butter, sour cream, flour, and sugar. It is set aside to rise, punched down, and then rolled out.

Some of the recipes we have found call for a cheese or praline filling. Ours has a layer of butter with cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on top. The dough is then rolled in a jellyroll fashion.

Shaped like a wreath, the cake rises a second time before baking. Hidden from view, a trinket such as a coin, or in some cases a baby doll, is concealed inside the King Cake. The lucky person who finds the trinket is said to be the Queen or King of the party.

After the cake is cooled, a butter cream frosting is added in traditional Mardi Gras colors complete with sugar sprinkles.

Here is Southern Living magazine's recipe for King Cake. We like it the best.

Last night for dinner Willi made Jambalaya. I would post that delicious recipe, except in true Willi fashion he began with two recipes and didn't stick to either one of them! For lunch we have prepared a hearty Seafood Gumbo. On tap for tonight is Oyster Po' Boys with Crawfish Etouffee, Red Beans and Rice.

"Laissez le bon temps roulet" or Let the good times roll!

Tomorrow it's back to the treadmill.