I hope everyone enjoyed the Big Game, and more important, I hope everyone enjoyed some tasty grub with friends and family throughout the day. I lucked out and went to a party at my next-door neighbor's house, so transporting food from point A to point B was a breeze (or Brees, if you're so inclined). I also made my first stuffed King Cake, which was an aesthetic disaster. Instead of rising to form a large ring, the cake — which was filled with cream cheese flavored with rum — spread across the pan like the Black Plague moving through Europe.

I bypassed the tradition of placing a tiny, ceramic baby doll inside the cake before baking it (whoever finds it is crowned king or queen for the day, or in my case, has to do the dishes). I instead hid half a pecan inside the cake after baking it. I have a sneaking suspicion it was swallowed whole, because no one claimed ownership of the pecan. (Either that, or the recipient of the token just didn't fancy doing the dishes, and kept his or her mouth closed on the matter).

Despite the cake's unfortunate collapse, it was a delicious outcome: buttery, egg-y, kind of flaky when it tore, the filling softened by the rum and a little lemon juice, the perfect confluence of tacky colored sprinkles and brioche-like sophistication hiding underneath ... It reminds me of something my culinary instructor told me once during a soufflé class: "There's no crying in Bake Ball."

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I reported a while back that Joel Coleman, former chef/owner of the now-defunct Mauka restaurant on Agua Fría Street, was hopeful he could rustle up enough financial support to open another restaurant in Santa Fe. Coleman's playing his hand pretty close to his chest while he gathers the resources needed to shine in the Santa Fe dining scene once again. He's itching to get back into a professional kitchen, and now there's some good news for folks who miss his superb cuisine. Beginning Sunday, Feb. 21, Joel Coleman will be guest-cheffing at Max's Late Night (4031/2 S. Guadalupe St., 984-9104, behind Corazón nightclub) every other Sunday. Coleman says he doesn't know how long he'll be able to do the gig, because he has other things brewing. So make a reservation for the 21st while you still can!

Max's chef Brian Rood is amazing, too. Anticipating that a lot of folks will be looking for a Valentine's Day meal the day before the actual holiday, Rood is offering a special three-course Valentine's prix fixe menu on Saturday and Sunday. And it looks amazing! Slow-braised short ribs, roasted green chile shrimp-and-grits with house-made applewood-smoked bacon, cherry-port panna cotta, plenty of vegetarian options — I think it's the sexiest local Valentine's menu I've come across in years. To check it out and learn more about this local gem, visit http://www.maxssantafe.com/valentines.html.

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At 8 p.m. Friday, Louie's Corner Café (229 Galisteo St., corner of Alameda and Galisteo streets, 820-2253) hosts a benefit party for the 505 for Haiti Project, which aids local Haitians who have returned home to assist their communities, and keeps them tethered to a more direct line of support here in New Mexico. Besides raffles, a silent auction, and music by DJs Nicolatron, Bromance, 13Pieces and SlowJam, Louie's is also putting out some great food, and drinks will be available for purchase. Admission is $10 at the door. Tell your friends!

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Mark your calendars, meat eaters: From 5 to 7 p.m. Feb. 20, Slow Food Santa Fe presents a tasting of meat products from Heritage Foods USA, a company that celebrates regional cuisines and products that promote genetic diversity, small family farms and a fully traceable food supply. The tasting, which takes place at the indoor Santa Fe Farmers Market pavilion in the Railyard, includes samples from Heritage and New Mexico ranch operations Talus Wind Ranch and Pecos Valley Grassfed Beef. Lamb, pork and beef are on tap, as are $4 pints of locally brewed beer provided by Second Street Brewery, which recently opened a second location in the Railyard (and serves a killer buffalo patty melt on rye with Swiss cheese and grilled onions!) Participating chefs include Joel Coleman, Terra at Encantado's Charles Dale, Rio Chama Steakhouse's Tom Kerpon and Megan Tucker, The Compound's Andrew Nichols, and Real Food Nation's Kim Müller. Admission is $25 for Slow Food members, $30 for non-members, $10 ages 9-12, and no charge for kids 8 and under. Tickets, which are going fast, are available online at http://slowfoodsantafe.eventbrite.com, and proceeds benefit the Santa Fe Farmer's Market.

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From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Holy Trinity Orthodox Church hosts an international feast to benefit Santa Fe's Interfaith Community Shelter. Munch on Ukrainian pierogi and halupki, Egyptian lamb, baklava, Moroccan chicken tagine, Hungarian vegetable stew and more. You can dine at the church while listening to live Irish music, or you can order some great food to go. The event takes place at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, 231 E. Cordova Road. Call 699-7148 for more information.

Send tips on what's happening in the local food and restaurant scenes to Rob DeWalt at rdewalt@sfnewmexican.com. You can also follow Rob and TASTE on Twitter at twitter.com/sfnmTASTE. You can read more food- and wine-related content by visiting etastesantafe.com.