Celebrating Mardi Gras Outside of New Orleans

That's right, the Fat Tuesday party begins today down in the Big Easy. But since I can't be there to celebrate, tonight I'm planning to bring a little bit of Mardi Gras back to my modest DC apartment. I've got some beads, some purple, green, and black duds, and I'm going to try my hand at some Cajun cuisine. Now I don't do gumbo, but I am looking into making beignets. I've found a great recipe here, which purports to be better than the batter mix you get from the famous Cafe Du Monde. Here you can watch "Bugsy" experience a tasty beignet.

Oh Bugsy you slay me!

It seems as though the secret to great beignets is to get the oil hot enough so the little fried fritters rise to the top. The only problem is the last time I fried something in my kitchen (latkes for Hannukah) the smell consumed the whole apartment building and soon after my neighbors came knocking wanting to get in on the action. Perhaps I should double the recipe...

10:49 AM ET | 02-24-2009 | permalink

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Need Music for a Road Trip?

"You let me change lanes, when I was driving in my car..."

Michael Duva, Getty Images

 

My wife Anna and I were packing last night for a small road trip we're taking this weekend. She got busy loading up all the essentials, like clothes, food, first aid kit, etc.

I decided it was my job to get together another big essential for the trip -- the music. As I rifled through my collection, I realized that Saturday is Valentine's Day so I asked Anna what she wanted to hear. Turns out she's not so into hardcore rap or techno when she's in the car. She prefers something a little more relaxing to put her in a good mood and take her mind off the traffic.

So now I'm making her a mixtape for the road trip with some songs that not only calm you down, but also might restore your faith in humanity...both on and off the road.

Here are the first five songs on my new anti-road-rage mix.

1) Whoever You Are
Geggy Tah

2) Instant Karma
John Lennon

3) Kind and Generous
Natalie Merchant

4) Float On
Modest Mouse

5) I Can See Clearly Now
Johnny Nash

Happy Valentine's Day. Hope it's a good one.

12:41 PM ET | 02-13-2009 | permalink

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Saving on Valentine's, What Would Rob Do?

These are cheap and easy.

Thomas J Peterson Getty Images

 

With the economic crisis in full effect, I'm guessing this Valentine's Day is probably going to be a little less extravagant. While February 14th can fill your heart with love and romance, it can also cause grief and sorrow by emptying your wallet. Even if you spend money on a gift, there's no guarantee it won't be lame.

In this week's podcast I talked to Michele Beschen, host and creator of the B. Original Series on DIY Network and HGTV, about some frugal and innovative ways to show your love. Click above to listen to her suggestions. She even has ideas about how Valentine's Day can be a catalyst for being romantic all year long. It's easier than you might think and certainly beats shelling out $160 for two dozen roses.

By the way, if you're thinking of putting rose petals in a bathtub, DON'T! There's a good chance they could be toxic.

9:33 PM ET | 02-10-2009 | permalink

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Happy Birthday Baby

Yesterday was my daughter's first birthday and since then I've had Paul Simon's "Father and Daughter" stuck in my head today. If my little one has any song in her head it has to be "Happy Birthday" which was sung to her multiple times including one table side rendition from the good folks at The Cheesecake Factory. Thanks guys it was very nice. Much bettter than this version:

But I was thinking what resaturant has the best rendition of "Happy Birthday"? Benihana's is pretty decent, bonus points for singing it in two languages:

But then again for my daughter's 2nd birthday maybe we'll head to Victor Cafe in Philadelphia where the waiters are professional singers:

7:37 AM ET | 02- 5-2009 | permalink

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