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You can learn a lot in the aftermath of a dinner among friends.

I learned, for example, that a friend of mine achieved the lowest score of 600 test-takers on a Psych 101 exam back in college — and that some of those test-takers with higher scores were monkeys.

While that little confession set off a heated debate of who did the dumbest thing in college, we all came away from the evening a little bit smarter about a little thing called Mardi Gras.

I learned that Mardi Gras is not a one-day event in New Orleans, but a weeks-long celebration involving multiple cities, parades and parties. I learned that hurricanes — the beverages — are always welcome in New Orleans, where the potent rum drink was first concocted. And I learned that, while the Big Easy gets all the headlines, Mobile, Ala., is the birthplace of Mardi Gras.

Thanks to David Kinsaul for educating a group of Northerners on this cultural phenomenon of the Deep South. The Mobile native — when not performing his duties as president and CEO of Children's Medical Center in Dayton — is arguably the area's foremost authority on all things Mardi Gras.

He's a member of two mystic societies, those "secret" assemblages of civic-minded citizens who are the driving forces behind Mardi Gras celebrations. He annually treks to Mobile where he willingly dons brightly colored, flowing garments and celebrates in style with his wife, Beth.

And he knows his way around in the kitchen, too. He took a few cooking classes in Mobile and New Orleans, picks up and tips and techniques on the Food Network and has spent three decades honing his culinary skills and matching them with his passion for Mardi Gras.

Last spring, Kinsaul offered up a Mardi Gras dinner for eight at the biennial Cha Cha auction to benefit Children's.

It was my good fortune to be included. It was my bad fortune to have filled up on Kinsaul's crab cakes, gumbo and jambalaya before dessert was served.

So Kinsaul was kind enough to share his recipe for King Cake, the Mardi Gras staple.

"This is a combination of the best of two recipes from Emeril Lagasse. I like the cream filling. Most commercial recipes don't bake the filling in, but slice and add it later," he said.

The result is a rich, yeasty, cream cheese-filled ring of sweet bread that's nothing like the dry, flat, prepackaged version available in grocery stores this time of year.

It was labor-intensive and involved a couple of kneading-and-rising cycles. But this dessert is worth planning your day around, at least once a year.

History of the

King Cake

The King Cake tradition began in 12th century France, where it would be baked on the eve of Jan. 6, the Feast of the Epiphany. Kinsaul explains:

"It was meant to celebrate the visit to the Christ child by the three kings, or magi. A small coin or token was hidden in the cake as a surprise for the finder.

"In New Orleans, the first king cake of the season was, and still is, served on Jan. 6. King cake parties are held daily all over the state where people gather to share the cake. "Whoever gets the slice of cake containing the plastic or ceramic baby that was baked into it must host a king cake party the following week.

"The cake is circular in shape (to represent a crown) and richly decorated with sugar tinted in the classic carnival colors — green, gold and purple, symbolizing faith, power and justice."

DAVID'S KING CAKE

Cake:

1/2 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)

2 packages dry yeast

2 teaspoons sugar

4 to 5 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1 teaspoons grated lemon rind

1/2 cup warm milk (105 to 115 degrees)

1/2 cup melted unsalted butter, cooled

5 egg yolks

2 tablespoons milk, at room temperature

1 plastic baby or pecan half

Filling:

1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup confectioner's sugar

Icing:

2 to 3 tablespoons milk, at room temperature

2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice

3 cups confectioner's sugar

Purple, green and gold sugar crystals

Combine the warm water, yeast and 2 teaspoons sugar in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside to a warm place for about 10 minutes.

Combine the 4 cups flour, one-half cup sugar, salt, nutmeg and lemon rind and add warm milk, melted butter, egg yolks and yeast mixture. Beat until smooth. Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Place the dough in a well-greased bowl. Turn once so greased surface is on top.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about 90 minutes).

Meanwhile, make the filling. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese and 1 cup confectioner's sugar. Blend by hand or with an electric mixer on low speed. Set aside.

Line a baking dish with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Punch the dough down and place on a lightly floured surface. Using your fingers, pat dough out into a rectangle about 30 inches long and 6 inches wide (or roll it out).

Spread the filling lengthwise over the bottom half of the dough, then flip the top half of the dough over the filling. Seal the edges, pinching the dough together. Shape the dough into a cylinder and place it on the prepared baking sheet, seam-side down. Shape the dough into a ring (oval) and pinch the ends together so there isn't a seam. Insert the king cake baby or pecan half into the ring from the bottom so that it is completely hidden by the dough.

Cover the ring with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and place in a warm, draft-free place. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Brush the top of the cake with milk. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

To make the icing, combine 2 tablespoons milk, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and 3 cups confectioner's sugar in a medium size-mixing bowl. Stir to blend well. With a rubber spatula, spread the icing evenly over the top of the cake. Sprinkle with the sugar crystals, alternating colors around the cake.

The cake is traditionally cut into 2-inch thick slices with all the guests in attendance.

Contact this writer at carol.rini@gmail.com.