Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

For those that don't spend their time learning Cajun phrases, Laissez les bon temps rouler means "Let the good times roll!" And for those that don't know me well, I spent the better part of 2010 - and a few months of 2011 - living in New Orleans. There are few things I love more than (kosher) gumbo, po'boys, the Saints, go-cups, and of course KING CAKE!

The past few years, Justin and I have celebrated by putting on beads, wearing green, yellow and purple, and drinking Abita beer. Even Bo wore beads!

2012

2013

But we all know it's just not the same. This year, I decided that we were going to go all-out and do it right! Because we were invited to a Mardi Gras party tonight, we decided to make red beans and rice last night. And of course, I made a king cake, but saved it for co-workers today!

Delicious red beans & rice with beef sausage (don't worry dad, it's kosher!):

I have sadly attempted king cake before, and while it was unbelievably delicious, it fell on the floor and so I drowned my sorrows by dipping the non-floor touching parts in the bourbon icing. Needless to say, it was high time I made another attempt. This one went far more smoothly, as Justin assisted me as it went from the cookie sheet to the cooling rack. Success!

Since my trip to Argentina back in August, I've had a can of dulce de leche cooped up in our pantry. It's time had come to share it's joy with the world, so I opened up that bad boy and spread it all over that king cake before I rolled it up into a neat circle, baked it, and poured whiskey icing and sanding sugar all over. I have to say, even I was impressed with the outcome!

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler! Happy Mardi Gras y'all!

Tea Party & World Travel

I just so happen to have a wonderful group of friends that gets together once a month for themed dinner parties. As much as I'd like to dress up like a dinosaur or in a Princess Leia costume, this is more of a regional theme. Last month was Mexican (if you remember those deliciously light & tart margarita cupcakes I made), but this month was Asian. And the moment the e-mail went out that it was Asian themed, I just knew I would to finally re-use the matcha powder that has been sitting in my pantry for ages!

Lucky for me, that means a deliciously light and earthy cupcake. Which, if you didn't know, is code for "you better have one helluva frosting!" And lucky for me, my experiences with the Asian culture have left me with one major bit of knowledge: all sweets include coconut. Whether it be the flesh or the milk, it's used in almost every Asian dish that I love. So, I opted for a honey coconut frosting. And wow. Just...wow. The cupcakes were a huge hit at the dinner party, and since I ended up with so much left over frosting, I got to practice my rose piping on a plate. And the rest of it was a huge hit with my boyfriend and the spatula. No judgement, it really was that good!

This was the beautiful outcome of my rose piping practice. Not bad for a first timer.

And here we have the lovely cupcakes, all lined up and piped just right.

I couldn't resist the perfect opportunity to top each cupcake with a fortune cookie! After all, what better way to end a night than with talks of success, love, and life?

Oh, and did I mention I leave for Argentina TOMORROW?? I'm going with Belmont University's MBA program, and I couldn't be more thrilled. The trip is being led by the infamous Dr. Jeff Cornwall. I'm beyond excited to see Buenos Aires, eat gelato and alfajores, tour the VW plant, and pick the brain of one of the most talented entrepreneurs in Nashville. Not to mention, I've already found a few local bakeries nearby - like you had any doubts!

Lucky for my class, I baked these last week for our pre-trip meeting. Classic alfajores, light shortbread cookies filled with sweet and sticky dulce de leche. Mmmm, mm! See y'all in a week!