G A T H E R I N G S | King Cake

The Mardi Gras or Carnival season officially begins on January 6th, or the "Twelfth Night", also known to Christians as the "Epiphany". Epiphany comes from a Greek word that means "to show". Jesus first showed Himself to the three Wise Men and to the world on this day. As a symbol of this Holy Day, a tiny plastic baby is placed inside each King Cake. The King Cake tradition is thought to have been brought to New Orleans from France in 1870. A King Cake is an oval-shaped bakery delicacy, crossed between a coffee cake and a French pastry that is as rich in history as it is in flavor. It's decorated in royal colors of PURPLE which signifies "Justice", GREEN for "Faith", and GOLD for "Power". These colors were chosen to resemble a jeweled crown honoring the Wise Men who visited the Christ Child on Epiphany. In the past, such things as coins, beans, pecans, or peas were also hidden in each King Cake. Today, a tiny plastic baby is the common prize. At a party, the King Cake is sliced and served. Each person looks to see if their piece contains the "baby". If so, then that person is named "King" for the day and bound by custom to host the next party and provide the King Cake. Mardi Gras Day has a moveable date and may occur on any Tuesday from February 3rd to March 9th. It is always the day before Ash Wednesday, and always falls 46 days before Easter. This coming Wednesday, March 6th, is Ash Wednesday. But this past Thursday, February 28th, we had a blast at Cowboy's Kitchens learning how to make our own homemade King Cakes from this super-amazing, and totally "in-control of her kitchen", Allison Young.

Allison Young started baking when she was around 5-years old with an Easy Bake Oven. She was just old enough to know that gourmet desserts didn't come from powder packets, but too young to use a real oven on her own. She has always loved cooking and baking, which is probably why she spends most of her time in her kitchen. She loves the smell of homemade rolls baking in the oven, loves to see dough rising on top of the stove, and most of all she loves to see people's faces when they try one of her homemade petite' fours, King Cakes, or cinnamon rolls for the first time. Allison is a child of God, a mother of two, a wife, businesswomen, baker, painter, and a lover of all outdoor activities. She truly was a blessing to each of us on this last evening of the month of February as we got to allow a piece of heaven to melt in our mouth and make our own King Cake to take home and bake. During this class, we learned how to use yeast to make dough, how to knead the dough to the perfect consistency, make and fill strips to braid, and of course learned about the history and traditions associated with Mardi Gras! Laissez les bons temps rouler!

LETTING THE GOOD TIMES ROLL

FRIENDS OF GATHERINGS

COWBOY'S KITCHENS

Cowboy's Kitchens is the bomb for allowing Gatherings to have our kitchen classes at their store this year. My intent was to help promote small businesses. But in all honesty, they are helping me! Make sure you go visit this awesome showroom if you are in the market for some new appliances. Located at 1107 Highland Colony Parkway, Suite 113, Ridgeland, Mississippi.

COLONY WINE MARKET

This evenings offering from Scott Jackson of Colony Wine Market was Castello Del Poggio Moscato. Moscato is a style of wine originating in the Piedmont region of Italy. The wine is made from the Muscat grape. It shows lots of peach, apricot, nectarine and orange peel flavors with a generous sweetness and lower alcohol levels. Sometimes the wine is still and other times it is lightly sparkling or fully sparking. Pair it with fresh fruits and cheeses and cakes. Colony Wine Market is located at 121 Colony Crossing Way, Madison. Make sure you tell Scott that you are a friend of Gatherings, and he will give you the Gatherings discount.

MAJESTIC KITCHEN

So appreciate Majestic Kitchen in the Township for the Seafood Gumbo, rice, and french bread. What a wonderful way to help us create the feel and taste of New Orleans! New owner, Todd Manuel, is branding with a totally new concept by growing the menu with additional original Cajun-inspired dishes, burgers, wraps, sandwiches, salads, poboys, tacos, pasta, and a variety of entrees from catfish to hamburger steak. But make sure you order the homemade onion rings. These are a must. With just the right amount of batter. Yum Yum. Majestic Kitchens is located at 1067 Highland Colony Parkway, Ridgeland.