King Cake is a Mardi Gras tradition! It’s not really a cake, but after a few mint juleps, do you really care? It’s actually a large cinnamon coffeecake with colored sugar in Mardi Gras colors, gold, green and purple. To make it a true King Cake, there needs to be a plastic baby hidden inside. There are different versions of what getting the baby means, anywhere from making you buy the next round to moving the party to your house. Of course, if you make it, you know where you hid the baby….Enjoy this cake, and celebrate New Orleans and Mardi Gras!

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To a Special Baker (Recipe for Mitzi’s Cinnamon Rolls)

This blog is dedicated to a baker who made more people happy, and gave more love than probably any other baker on the planet. Mitzi Turner, my great aunt, was the baker for the Puyallup, Washington school district for most of her life. Did the kids get your standard, institutional fare? Not a chance with Mitzi leading the kitchen. She made their food from the same recipes she used for her family. Homemade cinnamon rolls, banana bread, cookies… you name it. Parents used to send in extra money with their kids to buy extra helpings of her baked goods to bring home.

I grew up in San Diego, which meant that I only got the privilege of spending time with her on rare, treasured occasions. Still, in that time, she taught me to cook. I used to follow her around the kitchen, writing down what she did, asking questions, and learning. At one point, I got to spend the entire month of January with her. We would drink tea every night, and discuss many many things. I asked her why she put so much effort into making her special goodies for the school district. Her answer: “You never know what kind of food some of the kids get at home. You never know what kind of day they have had.” She did it out of love. And that was the main ingredient in her baking. Here is an adaptation of her cinnamon roll recipe. I left out that main ingredient, but I’m sure if you take the time to make them, you are the type of person who adds love to everything you do.

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