A Gourmand's Life

Yesterday marked the Epiphany, or Three Kings Day. While others marked the occasion in, perhaps, a more appropriate fashion, I made sure to pick up a Galette des Rois, or King's Cake, a traditional pastry eaten on the festival of the Epiphany throughout France. Consisting of two layers of puff pastry sandwiching a filling of frangipane and occasionally pastry cream, the galette usually contains a lucky charm which can range from a simple bean to a tiny plastic figurine of the baby Jesus. The person who finds it in their slice is king or queen for the day and gets to wear a paper crown.

The cake pictured here is from Madeleine Patisserie, a small shop on 23rd Street near my office. Being more of a Viennoiserie, they figured to do a good job with this cake, and they did, although a bit of pastry cream with the frangipane would have been nice.

I have always been fascinated with food traditions, particularly how specific holidays, both religious and otherwise, have spurred dishes that are still enjoyed today. You can find me hunting down some good Hamantaschen during Purim and Qatayef during Ramadan. When it comes to food, I am completely non-denominational.