King Cake is a traditional treat during Mardi Gras in New Orleans. A very small human infant is hidden inside the baked King Cake and whoever finds it gets to be the King of Carnival. When I was a child, there would be King Cake in school everyday and the kid who found the baby had to bring in a cake the next morning. That usually meant that your mom had to get you up a half an hour earlier to drag you to the bakery and shell out extra money for a cake large enough to feed an army of fourth graders. When I was eight, my mom told me that if I got the baby again, I should swallow it or not bother coming home.

Here's a great side dish to accompany your flesh of choice.

• 3 T. olive oil
• 2 heads of broccoli (approx. 1.25 pounds), stems peeled and heads halved lengthwise to create a flat side
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• a pinch of crushed red pepper
• salt and pepper
• 2 T. lemon juice

In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 T. olive oil.  Add the broccoli, flat side down, cover and cook over moderate heat until richly browned on the bottom, about 8 minutes.  Add the water, cover and cook until the broccoli is just tender and the water has evaporated, about 7 minutes.  Add the remaining one T. olive oil to the skillet, along with the crushed red pepper and the garlic.  Cook for another 3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with the lemon juice and serve.