I have always loved Purim (the celebration of Queen Esther’s triumph in saving Persian Jews from annihilation by the evil King Haman) because it means dressing in costume and making triangle-shaped cookies called Hamantashen (or in Heberew “oznei Haman” - Haman’s ears).  Filled with jam -  apricot or strawberry  - or other fillings like prune, chocolate or poppy seeds, these cookies are said to resemble Haman’s three cornered hat.  Hamantashen are generally made by rolling out thin, buttery cookie dough, cutting out circles,  dropping a dollop of filling in the center of each circle, and folding the dough in on three sides to make a triangle shape.  Everyone has a favorite - mine are poppyseed with that deep, savory-sweet taste.

Oh yes.  When I have a bo-bo (boo-boo if you’re from outside the South), I need a bandage and the loving comfort of food.  Done.  And even a menu of choices to suit my injured body and mood.  Today’s cut got wrapped in a pickle strip because I was feeling half-sour.

Pop Rocks.  Can you believe it?  Just when you think something’s gone the way of the Dodo bird, it pops (pun inteded) back on the scene.  I’ve had cocktails with Pop Rocks as garnish and Pop Rocks incorporated into desserts (Pop Rouge cake, root beer ice cream and Pop Rocks), but the latest creation is a chocolate bar with Pop Rocks woven throughout (like toasted rice in a Nestle’s Crunch).  A crazy sensation, like exploding chocolate; even after the chocolate has melted away, the party continues with tiny bursts in your mouth.  Me like.

Use this super easy to make recipe for awesome tempura, battered and fried dish, or even apple fritters! It takes about 2 minutes to make and is CRUNCHY!

Beer Batter

1 - 12 ounce bottle of beer (I like Peroni)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornstarch

• Preheat fryer or pan of canola oil to 325 degrees.  (This can take up to 20 minutes, so plan ahead.)
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour and cornstarch together.  While mixing, slowly pour the beer into the bowl and continue to mix until smooth.
• Dip ingredients into batter and immediately drop into hot oil.  (I like to use chopsticks for this step.)
• Fry, flipping over once or twice, until golden brown and cooked through–up to five minutes, depending on item being fried.
• Remove from fryer and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
• Season with a little salt for savory items, or a little sugar for sweets.
• Eat before it gets cold!

Crisp, well-seasoned, crunchy exterior.  Juicy, softly briny, cool-in-the-center.  A perfect fried oyster.   No tartar sauce required.  Please sir, may I have another?  I love New Orleans.

This is the first weekend of Carnival (Mardi Gras) in New Orleans and we’ve already had two night parades.  Today there are three parades (one this afternoon and two more tonight), so I’m cooking.  Despite the 70 Degree temperature, chili just feels like the thing.  Now I know there are bound to be fights and commentary about the fact that I have beans in my chili con carne, but it’s Valentine’s Day and my husband likes beans in his chili.  Ok, so a little secret, I messed up and bought salad beans…shhhhh, he doesn’t know the difference.  I can tell you this:  as much as I love chickpeas, they really have no place in a traditional chili.

I know it’s a bit after-the-fact, but when I saw this insane Super Bowl-inspired food stadium, from the gang at irreverent and clever holytaco.com, I had to show it off.  Look closely, this beast is made of guacamole, queso, salsa, sour cream, Vienna sausages, cheese, bacon, Nacho Cheese Doritos, Cheetos, Twinkies, and Chex Mix.   There’s also a 20 ounce, football-shaped, summer sausage blimp.  Click on the link to see the process for making this stadium, it’s brilliant.

What’s that in President Obama’s hands?  Why I do believe it’s Lousiana Hot Sauce.  And do I also spy a big bowl of gumbo on the table?  Yes, I do believe that’s gumbo.  Geauxbama!

I love Concord grape.  Give me a bottle of Welch’s grape juice any day and watch me chug the thing.  So when I heard Concord grape sorbet as one of the selections at dinner the other night, I signed up immediately.  It doesn’t get any better for me.

However, when my server also mentioned the oatmeal ice cream, I was ready to jump for joy!  I am a pastry chef, who LOVES making ice cream—especially exotically flavored ice cream.  I’ve made cornbread ice cream; I’ve made graham cracker ice cream; but wow, I had never even thought of oatmeal ice cream!  (This is where I admit that I was jealous of the inventor’s obvious genius…)

My little bowl of heaven arrived.  And there, right in front of me, was a swirl of both the Concord grape sorbet and oatmeal ice cream, topped with a sprinkling of granola.  I was so pleased by this combination that I convinced myself that it was a “healthy” dessert as I nearly licked the bowl clean…

One of my favorite Latin American drinks is agua de tamarindo. The beverage is made similar to a tea, by boiling tamarind pods and seeds in water until the brew takes on a strong flavor and dark caramel brown color. It is then sweetened with white sugar, chilled, and served over ice—something like a Latin version of sweet tea.  It also makes a nice cocktail when mixed with Myer’s spiced rum and garnished with a fresh lime wedge.

The flavor of the drink is very distinct, and the best way I can describe it is by calling it sweet, sour and tangy. To really understand the flavor, you have to go try it yourself. I’ve found most people either love it or hate it—and not much in between.

You can also buy the beverage bottled by a company called Jarritos. Their variety is also very good, but it is a bit sweeter and is carbonated. And when you can’t get it homemade, it makes a fine substitute.