A Super Bowl Sunday Buffet Of News

This is a big week for snacks, treats, and romance

Happy Lunar New Year! Happy Super Bowl Sunday! Happy Deep Gras! And let’s not forget that Valentine’s Day is approaching, as is Lent (sssh, don’t spoil the fun just yet.).

Welcome to our new subscribers and a special thank you to paid subscribers, who keep the lights on here at CulinaryWoman.

Usually, I share an essay with you, and then move on to news items. But there were so many good stories this week that I wanted to share them all. So, here’s a Sunday buffet of news, with a couple of dishes that I brought along.

The Looming Crawfish Crisis In New Orleans

New Orleans is in the most intense part of carnival season, which locals call Deep Gras. There are parades, parties and balls, culminating Tuesday on Mardi Gras Day. But the Great Crawfish Crisis of 2024 looms over the city and Louisiana, where the mudbugs are on menus from late winter through summer.

Normally, crawfish can be purchased everywhere from gas stations to corner markets. They are a staple of backyard gatherings, where crawfish boils involve potatoes, corn, crawfish, and lots of beer. But experts are warning of shortages and high prices this year, in a region normally awash with the bright red crustaceans.

The reason: a drought last summer, when temperatures soared and dried up ponds where crawfish burrow in to grow.

You can learn more in my story for The Takeout.

Somebody Feed Phil Returns With Season Seven

I discovered Phil Rosenthal when his original series ran on PBS. Now, his Netflix series is about to launch Season Seven and he has an enormous worldwide fan base. Viewers outside the U.S. have been clamoring for Phil to visit them, and he’ll go abroad in several episodes.

The cities and countries he’s highlighting include Mumbai, Washington D.C., Kyoto, Iceland, Dubai, the REAL Orlando (his emphasis), Taipei and Scotland. These new episodes debut March 1.

I’ve been to five of those places, so I’ll be interested in how Phil depicts them. I’ve found his show to be a mix of what you’d expect, and some unusual things that you might not see without a local connection.

I love the idea of him visiting Orlando beyond the theme parks. I got to do that a few years ago, when Mark Remillard and I took part in a conference at the Marriott Orlando World Center. We ventured out for fish tacos, barbecue and to visit a fantastic farmer’s market in Winter Park. We also had a great meal at a Disney property, so no shade to dining there.

The CulinaryWoman Reading Room will have a Phil connection next month. There will be a giveaway. See you real soon!

Chocolate Chip Cookies Go Viral At Disneyland

Speaking of Disney, you can never tell what might go viral. It turns out that chocolate chip cookies served at one restaurant in Disneyland have become a hit on social media.

In the past few weeks, there have been a growing number of social media posts on TikTok, YouTube, and Threads that all feature a simple but apparently satisfying new Disneyland treat: fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies.

I discovered the trend via Threads and wrote about it for The Takeout. The cookies are relatively inexpensive for a Disney property: $6.49 for six, or 13 for $12.49. People are lining up for them and the Harbour Gallery is selling out most days by noon (you can pre-order via a Disney app).

Fighting Food Waste In Phoenix

Food waste is a major global issue that communities all around the world are trying to battle. The average Arizona household throws away more than four pounds of food per month, and restaurants are heightening the problem.

So, a nonprofit called Waste Not, the National Resource Defense Council and Phoenix chef Chris Lenza teamed up on a project to reduce how much they contribute to landfills, according to KJZZ.

Chris recruited eight other chefs to take part in a 10-week trial that involved restaurants on Lower Grand Avenue and Roosevelt Row near downtown.

They focused on sustainable food sourcing, composting scraps, and overall waste reduction. Some restaurants repurposed food that would have been thrown out by feeding local police and firefighters. The pilot program kept roughly 31,000 pounds of food waste out of landfills.

Celebrating Fat Tuesday With Fancy Paczki

Across the Midwest and in other parts of the country, bakeries at this time of year are awash in paczki. These are fried Polish jelly doughnuts that were originally a way to use up fat before Ash Wednesday.

But paczki (pronounced poonch-key) have gone far beyond the original prune, custard and fruit fillings that can commonly be found. They’ve become canvases for much fancier concoctions.

I spoke with New Palace Bakery manager Suzy Ognanovich for this story at The Takeout. The bakery has been rolling out a new flavor, sometimes two, each year since 1996.

This year, holidays and sports played a role. New Palace launched Honey Cream Dream pączki, a salute to Valentine’s Day, which coincides this year with Ash Wednesday.

It is split open and filled with honey infused buttercream, then topped with a swirl of buttercream, powdered sugar, and a drizzle of honey. “Why not get honey pączki for your honey?” Ognanovich says.

The second new flavor, Roaring Blueberry Blitz, honors the Detroit Lions’ Super Bowl push. That double-layer doughnut has blueberry filling, powdered sugar, and blueberry topping.

Other fancy pączki in the lineup include Orange Creamski and Strawberry Cheesecake. The fancy doughnuts cost more: a dozen assorted specialty pączki are $41.95, versus $31.95 for a traditional box with tamer flavors like raspberry, lemon, and apple. New Palace also sells half dozen boxes of single traditional flavors for $17.25.

Valentine’s Day Fun In The World’s Most Romantic City

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to spend Feb. 14 in Paris? Whether you’re there with a loved one or traveling by yourself, there are numerous activities that can put you in the mood for joy and affection.

You’l find 14 ideas for Valentine’s Day in Paris on

The Real Emily in Paris

newsletter.

Having been there many times, I particularly like this suggestion: Talented photographer Marianella of Sur Seine Photo is holding Valentine’s mini sessions on Feb. 17 in front of the Eiffel Tower (30 minutes, 15 photos, €190). Email her at contact@surseinephoto.com to book.

Another idea, which doesn’t have to be done on Valentine’s Day, is to flaneur. “Spend the day wandering, stopping for the occasional coffee and people watching, browse book shops and generally enjoy yourself,” Emily writes.

Keeping Up With CulinaryWoman

My book Satisfaction Guaranteed marks its second birthday on Feb. 22 (doesn’t time fly?) This month, I’m sharing some excerpts in the CulinaryWoman Reading Room, which comes out on Wednesdays.

Last week, I looked at the concept of Bottom Line Change. This week, I’ll look at Visioning, which you don’t have to own a business to try. Our paid subscribers receive the Reading Room each week; won’t you join them and support CulinaryWoman?

Here’s how you can follow and get in touch with me.

• Website: www.michelinemaynard.com

• Email: culinarywoman (@) gmail dot com

• LinkedIn: Micheline Maynard

• Threads and Instagram: (@) michelinemaynard

• Etsy shop: City Tips Vintage

Good luck to whichever team you’re rooting for in the Super Bowl! I’ll see paid subscribers tomorrow and everyone on Tuesday with a new edition of Food News. Have a great Sunday.

Order a copy of Satisfaction Guaranteed here. https://amzn.to/3Hk4vAq