It's Fat Tuesday! Let's have a drink.

A couple of years ago The Big Boy REALLY pissed me off. (The feeling was mutual, but I wasn't worried about his side of the story.) So I called my college roomate and we got on a plane and went to New Orleans for the weekend. So there.

Breakfast at Brennan's is an international stock phrase for a reason...it DOES NOT get any better than this. We had the whole nine yards: Grillades and Grits, champagne, Bananas Foster. But the quirkiest thing was how much I enjoyed the Ramos Gin Fizz. I don't do sweets, but the richness and smoothness of this drink just made me happy. (The champagne didn't hurt.) In fact, I was sooo happy when I left that I bought their cookbook.

So, happy Fat Tuesday. Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, when my little Methodist children come home from their little Catholic school with black smudges on their foreheads. And hopefully, forgiven. (Reckon that extends to the sins of the fathers?)

Ramos Gin Fizz
1-1/2 ounces gin
1/4 teaspoon orange flower water
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons simple syrup
1 egg white
1/2 cup half and half
1/4 cup crushed ice

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend for 15 seconds. Pour into a chilled old-fashioned glass to serve.

For my parent's fiftieth wedding anniversary we had a celebration planned, but the morning of the actual date my sister and I cooked the Brennan's breakfast for our parents and the couple who were the attendants at their wedding. I could NOT find orange flower water (if you don't live in Rural Heaven like I do, it's not a problem), and tried this first with orange extract. Wrong. We ended up using about 1/2 teaspoon fresh orange juice. Not the same, but it didn't overwhelm like the extract did.

(Simple Syrup: Combine one cup water and one-half cup sugar in a small saucepan, and boil for five minutes. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator.)