Looks Good: Roscón de Reyes

Uploaded to Flickr on January 7, 2009 by Photosíntesis.

Three Kings Day (TKD), or the celebration of Epiphany, was yesterday. TKD is often viewed as the official end of the twelve days of Christmas and commemorates the day that three kings brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to baby Jesus (btw, The Guardian reports that thefts of baby Jesus figurines are sweeping the US).

What I think is most important is the cake associated with TKD. Called "King Cake" in the context of Mardi Gras and Carnival, it is known as "Galette/Gâteau des Rois" in France, Belgium and Switzerland; "Bolo Rei" in Portugal; or "Roscón de Reyes" in Spanish-speaking countries. The Roscón de Reyes pictured above has a chocolate truffle filling, but a good-looking recipe from NOLA Cuisine calls for a pecan filling and a little Bourbon kick in the glaze topping.

El Museo del Barrio hosted their annual Three Kings Day Parade yesterday (complete with live animals). The Museum will also host a Three Kings Day Celebration this Saturday, Jan. 10 from 3 to 5pm. El Museo's galleries are currently under renovation, but you can visit "Heresies," a four-decade retrospective of photographs by Pedro Meyer, on Saturdays by guided tour only.