Why would anyone bake a tiny baby doll inside a cake? The king cake is a succulent and fun way to celebrate Mardi Gras. It’s time to introduce everyone to this dessert that’s just a darn good time! A few years ago, a friend from New Orleans introduced me to the tradition of the king cake. The large and colorful cakes are a part of the party fun at Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras (or Carnaval) is several days of eating, parades, dances, and partying. The celebration comes to a head with Fat Tuesday, the last night before the Catholic Lent season begins, and at which time the faithful are expected to fast and obey church law. There are many different varieties of king cakes and countries around the globe have their own versions, with many being served at Christmas time. The cakes are usually decorated in Mardi Gras colors: purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power. Some of these high fat cakes are deep fried like a donut, while most are baked with some type of inner stuffing such as cream cheese, strawberry, or in true Louisianan style – cinnamon. The cakes are then coated with icing and sprinkles. I’ve enjoyed some on several occasions and each time it reminded me of eating a gigantic cinnamon bun. Most feature a small, plastic baby baked inside which is meant to resemble baby Jesus. Finding the piece containing the plastic kid, designates that person gets to receive special treatment such as “king of the day” and in many cases is expected to provide the cake for the next celebration. The host of the party can purchase a cake without the baby baked in, and insert into the cake just before serving to have an idea of where it is. ...

Seriously, isn’t that cool, colorful picture absolutely mouthwatering on this hot summer day?  During my trip to New Orleans, I was introduced to Snowballs, a most refreshing dessert.  They’re much more than just syrup and water!  While many cities have their own version of Sno-cones, the south does them best! Let me know if you can find one of these in a city near you! Snowballs are well known in the southern United States.  A Snowball is not a slushie, not sherbert, and not your standard ice with flavoring.  The consistency is just like new fallen snow. Fresh ice is shaved superfine from a brick of ice, and then doused with home made flavorings. Hansen’s Sno-Bliz was the location I visited to sample the dessert.  According to their website, the stand located at 4801 Tchoupitoulas Street in New Orleans opened in 1944; after selling the dessert on the street since 1938.  The ice is still served the very same way as it was in the beginning.  A worker shaves each cone from a massive block of ice, for every customer’s unique order, using a specially designed, saw-like machine. Standing at the counter waiting for your treat, you can see the gloved man shaving away.  From what I’ve been told, it’s hard job, so cold the ice shaver must wear gloves to avoid frostbite on his fingers. Each and every one is home made.  No machine pushing syrups with CO2.  There are also a massive variety of sizes, from a tiny cup to a giant trash can size that was for a frat party! The dessert can be served with multiple home made fruit flavored syrups, or a splash of condensed milk, marshmallow, crushed pineapples, crushed strawberries or whipped cream. Even ice cream can be added.  I...