Taste the donut rainbow

These donuts are so good it hurts. And they’re available 24 hours a day.

Hurts Donuts in Springfield, Missouri, are anything but ordinary, a delectable collection of sweet treats that are as humorous and colorful as they are delicious. 

There's the E.T. donuts with Reese's Pieces on top or the ones covered in sprinkles or smoothed over with brightly colored icing. Several have cereal pieces on top. The Nutella comes rich and sweet with a Nutella dollop in the center. One even smiles back. 

There's homage to Homer Simpson and the Jesus Donut is beige with brown stripes and we’re not quite sure why.

The walls feature famous photos with Hurts Donuts inserted, such as the famous Times Square kiss after V-J Day and the lineup of skyscraper workers enjoying lunch. There’s fun seating in two rooms, so those with time may grab a cup of Jo and sit and savor their unique creations.

If you’re in Springfield, you won’t want to miss a trip to Hurts. If nothing else, the view is incredible. Check them out below.

Photos by Chere Coen

Cheré Dastugue Coen is a food and travel writer living in South Louisiana who is the author of several Louisiana romances under the pen name of Cherie Claire and the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country” and co-author of “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets.” Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.

Spring blooming at Garvan Woodland Gardens

 

Photo by Cheré Coen

I had the distinct pleasure of visiting Garvan Woodland Gardens at the onset of spring, viewing what seemed like endless rolling hills of daffodils and other spring flowers such as crocus and hyacinths. I’m a daffodil fan but I’ve been told that tulip days at the gardens outside Hot Springs, Ark., are a sight to see as well.

That’s why Garvan Woodland Gardens offers Tulip Extravaganza through April 30, showcasing more than 150,000 Dutch tulips, in addition to other spring annuals and azaleas in bloom. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily with admission, $15 for adults, $5 for ages 6-12 and tykes 5 and under admitted free.

The gardens also offer a wide variety of workshops, special events such as bridal expos and musical performances, such as the upcoming “Celtic Spring” concert by the Muses Creative Artistry Project on March 12. Be sure and visit their website for more information at http://www.garvangardens.org.

Now enjoy the following spring fashion show:

Photo by Garvan Gardens

Photo by Cheré Coen

Photo by Cheré Coen

Photo by Cheré Coen

Photo by Cheré Coen

Cheré Dastugue Coen is a food and travel writer living in South Louisiana who is the author of several Louisiana romances under the pen name of Cherie Claire and the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country” and co-author of “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets.” Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.

File under 'Only in New Orleans:' receiving French feves with Bombay Club Ojen Carnival cocktails

Mardi Gras is only one week away and here’s a new cocktail to enjoy during Carnival festivities, thanks to The Bombay Club. The Ojen Cocktail features Legendre Ojen, a liqueur flavored with anise, and is now the unofficial krewe cocktail for the Rex Organization, and the drink used to toast the King of Carnival on Mardi Gras Day.

But if you’re wondering what the Rex business is all about, here’s a quick explanation. Krewes are organizations that host Carnival balls and parades in New Orleans. The Krewe of Rex is one of the city’s oldest and most prominent (the Mardi Gras colors, doubloons and other traditions date back to Rex) and on Mardi Gras Day, the Rex king toasts the Queen of Carnival at the reviewing stand at the Hotel Intercontinental of New Orleans.

Back to that cocktail – Ojen was first produced in the mid-1800s by a distiller in Spain, but the production of the liqueur ended when the distillery closed in the late 1980’s. The Sazerac Company revived the classic cocktail with a new production here in the United States in early 2016. (Read more here.)

“Ojen had gained popularity in New Orleans at the beginning of the last century, and over time had become the standby cocktail, especially during Carnival season,” said Bombay Club Bar Manager Blake Kaiser in a recent press release. “In fact, some believed that New Orleans’ consumption of Ojen surpassed that of all of Spain, and considering that New Orleanians like a good drink every now and then, I’d believe it.”

Kaiser serves the Ojen Cocktail up with a traditional French feve. Similar to tiny babies found in New Orleans king cakes during Carnival, the fève is a porcelain trinket. Like king cakes, in which the person who nabs the baby must buy the next king cake, the person who finds the feve becomes “king (or queen) for the day” and must provide the next Ojen Cocktail. The Bombay Club feves are musically themed figurines, and a full collection makes up a 10-piece jazz band.

“We just thought this was a fun way to celebrate our favorite holiday in New Orleans,” said Kaiser. “If you get all ten, it’s a great collection, and it’s a unique souvenir by which to remember carnival 2017.”

THE BOMBAY CLUB OJEN COCKTAIL RECIPE
2 ounces Legendre Ojen
7 dashes Peychaud's Bitters
1/2 ounce Orgeat or Simple Syrup

Method: Fill a rocks glass with crushed ice. Pour Ojen over the ice and add four dashes of Peychaud's bitters, then swizzle. Fill with more crushed ice and top with three more dashes of Peychaud's. Swizzle until the glass frosts.

Cheré Dastugue Coen is a food and travel writer living in South Louisiana who is the author of several Louisiana romances under the pen name of Cherie Claire and the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country” and co-author of “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets.” Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.

Save the world with beer!

Dave Rathkamp

In Marble Falls, Texas, Dave and Quynh Rathkamp are attempting to save the world, one mug of beer at a time.

The couple, who met at Tulane during their medical residency, spent vacation time visiting impoverished areas of the world. Dave loved to brew beer and Quynh loved to donate to charities so the two left medicine behind and started Save the World Brewing Company.

The makeup of Marble Falls, Texas, water is akin to Belgium, so Dave creates Belgium-style beer. Since both have a Christian calling, the beers reflect Latin names such as Agnus Dei Witbier, a wheat beer with orange and coriander hints that means “Lamb of God” and the Humilus Filius (“The Humble Son”) pale ale, what Rathkamp calls his “meat and potatoes beer.”

Visitors are welcome in the brewery’s tasting room on Fridays and Saturdays to enjoy standard and seasonal brews. Profits help Food for the Hungry, Habitat for Humanity and Meals on Wheels and the couple works hard to maintain a small carbon footprint. There are solar panels on the roof, they recapture greywater from the brewing process to use in irrigation, recycle about 40 percent of the breweries’ waste and use LED lighting. Grains used in the brewing process are donated to local farmers for livestock feed.

Want to read more? I wrote a story about the couple in Louisiana Road Trips magazine this month. Read it here.

Cheré Dastugue Coen is a food and travel writer living in South Louisiana who is the author of several Louisiana romances under the pen name of Cherie Claire and the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country” and co-author of “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets.” Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.