Pudding Time

 Pudding may be old fashioned but it 's still a great dessert. There's nothing like ending a dinner with it or just enhoying a quick sweet. You can go old school and make your own to get that down home flavor.

Puddings are usually sweet recipes in the US .However in Britain you could have savory ones like Yorkshire which is really a popover. and France  meat ones like salmon and foie gras or chicken liver. The ones here though could be custards or mousses. All countries have some form of it and during the Twentieth Century it used to be a popular dessert that was easy to whip up. surprsingly the word comes from the Latin word for sausage botellus and then the French changed it to boudin. it could also be from the German pud meaning to swell. A good homemade pudding has cornstarch in it ,acting as a binder. milk is added for creminess while vanilla and sugar flavor it.It's first boiled and then constantly stirred until the mixture thickens.It can be spooned into individual bowls or into one big one and chilled. for a richer texture and taste , use whole ream instead of milk. One of the best desserts is chocolate pudding.Make a really rich one using whole cream, and one half cup of baking cocoa. Add butter and vanilla for a fudgy flavor. You could add a tiny drop of mint  for  a fancier chocolate mint dessert.

Many go wild for a homemade butterscotch pudding. This is  silken treasure made with brown sugar heavy cream and egg yolks, The egg yolks are blended with the cornstarch for a silky  but thick constistency.  The brown sugar is cooked into a syrup with water along with salt.It's important for it to caramelize for both the color and flavor. Butter and vanilla are added to the finished product . You could add bourbon or brandy for a grown up version of this childhood classic. What about vegans? Can they enjoy a pudding that's as rich as the egg and dairy laden ones? There are vegan puddings that can be made with any kind of plant milk like soy or almond. Vegan butter may be called for for more flavor. The most important ingredient in vegan pudding is the same one in regular ones - cornstarch. This will help in thickening the mix. Add cocoa powder or brown sugar for a chocolate or butterscotch one. You could even toss in peanut butter which will give a creamy texture and a unique flavor.

A scratch pudding is a great dessert or treat. Make a traditional or vegan one for a truly unique sweet.It's the epitome of homemade goodness.

Disaster For Dinner

 It's just a fact of life that there could be a cooking or baking disaster. Every home chef goes through several during a lifetime.What to do? Keep calm and carry on with some quick thinking and amending.

This happened to me the other night, I was all set to try chickpea gnocchi from Aldi. I was st to my my favorite sauce burst tomatoes, anticipating the sweet -savory flavor of this on the potato dumplings. Unfortunately it was not to be. i taste tested two or three gnocchi, discovering that those had an extremely sour taste. These were ditched right away, the consensus was they had been left too long on the store's shelf.What to do with the sauce? Luckily there was sliced semolina bread. This proved to be a life saver. The sauce was spooned over the slices, sort of like a hot bruschetta. It was delicious and a great idea for a quick lunch in the future. Luckily it was a family meal and not meant for guests. Yet suppose there had been guests? What to do? One good and easy solution is subbing in the gnocchi with already cooked pasta. Barilla offers this and it can be made in the microwave. Rice could also work in this situation too. what happens when the sauce gets screwed up? I'f it's too salty, add more tomatoes or a teaspoon of honey to balance it out. As for meats, cut away the burnt part and if it's too dry, get some gravy to moisten it. Melted butter or olive oil also helps.

Baking and frosting has their share of disasters.Again I recently found this out when I made frosting with Melt plant butter. I thought it would be just like I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and produce a thick, creamy icing that would stay in place. It didn't. It slid off my Easter lambs, making them look like they had mange.I just arranged the fallen frosting to make it look like a bed the lambs were resting on. Again luckily these were not made for company. Frosting can be thickened and not just with more confectioner's sugar.. You can use cornstarch, flour and even butter  to create a rich paste. What about if your cake or cupcakes burn? Like with meat, cut away the burnt parts and cover with frosting or a dusting of confectioner's sugar.  The cake's top may be dry and crumbly too, thanks to the excessive heat. Pour melted butter over the top. This will ensure a moist crumb.  This can be done to cupcakes too. Homemade puddings and custards can be amended thanks to an immersion blender  whipping away all those lumps. Also adding whipped cream and turning it into an instant mousse is also a dessert saver.

Disaster sometimes comes for dinner and dessert. Be prepared if ti does. It's easy to fix a meal or dessert gone bad.

Celebrating Coleridge

Today is Samuel Taylor Coleridge's birthday and mine, I've always felt that the first, one of the greatest poets in the English language should be celebrated . This writer - not too much.

Birthdays now are hollow to me. No matter how much I celebrate, with all the dinners out and cake in , it's not the same without my Mom. I miss those days when she would make my favorite  - risotto Milanese , the creamy Milanese dish of arborio rice, mushrooms and, of course, saffron. Nothing will ever come as close as her delicious pot of sunny yellow rice. Imagine molten sunshine and that's what the dish looked like. One day I will make it. My cooking and baking is getting to be as good as hers - I am trying - not to brag. It's a tough legacy to handle and surpass.Yet  I am trying, Some of it is coming out good and I can imagine her saying "What a good cooker" a phrase  she took her her aunt, my great aunt who knew a  thing or two about Piedmontese cooking and was an excellent cook herself.  However back to Coleridge who , unlike his latter Romantic counterparts, Byron, Shelley, and Keats never went to Italy. They probably dined on risotto, Mr Coleridge may have had only a rice pudding. the closest he'd ever get to anything with rice.

 He did come from Devon which had excellent dairy and beef along with lamb and mutton.Maybe soon I'll celebrate STC with a proper cream tea. There's clotted cream to be had, this I can easily get from either Amazon or Myers of Keswick in New York's West Village. It's a thick cream created by heating full cream cow's milk over a hot water and steam bath. The result is a lovely, thick, yogurt , (its' origins may have come from yogurt, the Phoenicians ate during their trips to ancient Britain. They traded goods for tin mined from Cornish mines).It's mild tasting and delicious on hot English muffins and then topped with any jam or jelly. A variation of it is "Thunder and Lightening" , bread topped with it and a layer of honey. I'd go with the jam, preferably blackberry or the cherry one I bought from Cherry Republic, in Traverse City Michigan. That to me is the perfect way to celebrate this famed Devon author.

Another birthday for Coleridge and myself. I've celebrated him for years, with cream teas and clotted cream. It's time to bring out the last again and slather it on a hot , toasty English muffin.

Summer Baking

Even baking affectionadoes do not like to be stuck in the kitchen during a hot day. It's no fun to have the kitchen turn into a sauna as cakes or cookies bake in a hot oven. It's time to turn to summer goodies that only need the fridge and microwave.

One of the easiest, fun and delicious summer cakes is one made out of ice cream. Some, like myself, were daunted by it. Would it be as good as a DairyQueen or Friendly' s? There's no need to worry. The hardest part is crushing the crumbs and microwaving the butter to make the crust and middle.
.Start with a good hard cookie or snap. Many go for Oreos, mostly for the flavor. I prefer Nabisco's Famous Chocolate Wafers, They're a rich dark chocolate that have the perfect crumble. As for ice cream, here's where you can customize it to suit tastes. Try one layer of s fruit ice cream  like cherry ,or strawberry and the second  layer can be chocolate. Or go with vanilla. Coffee ice cream works well with both chocolate and vanilla.As for icing use a chocolate hard shell. Pour on top and let drip down the sides. Fancier decorations  come from a can of whipped cream and a spoonful of sprinkles.You can also make ice cream  cup cakes but when doing this , use a silicon mold. You could use a regular cupcake tin and papers, however the last may be hard to peel away when you want to eat them.

Layered  trifles, usually reserved for fall and winter can be interpreted for summer. This is the season  for a variety of fruits . Take advantage of the bounty. a fruit trifle is an easy make, Use store bought lady fingers for the base layer, and alternate the fruit with Cool Whip. If you're ambitious you can make your own whipped cream using whole cream, with either granulated or confectioner's sugar and a tiny splash of vanilla extract. As for fruit - go wild! Try strawberries and peaches or nectarines and blackberries. You can also create an all berry one using strawberries, blackberries , and blueberries. Ice box cakes are another hot weather favorite.One is the famed zebra cake made with Nabisco's chocolate wafers and Cool Whip.A variation of this is making a triangle shaped one ,instead of where you line up the wafers.There is also the graham cracker icebox variation where the crackers are layered in a cake pan with fruit, pudding and whipped cream.Vanilla pudding is the usual filler but to liven  it up - sub in pistachio or butterscotch pudding.If choosing the last, add a layer of salted caramel topping on top of the graham crackers for decadence.

It's summer. Don't heat up the kitchen by baking. Create tasty sweets that only require your fridge and microwave .

Fix it And Forget it Cuisine

It is the busiest time of the year, with holiday planning and shopping. Many home chefs feel like they have no time to cook a decent  for their families. Luckily there's a new cookbook out  and it involves slow cooker cuisine.

Fix It And Forget it Cookbook, Revised & Updated 700 Great Slow Cooker Recipes (Good Books 2017) edited by Phyllis Good is a great book for any home chef who relies heavily on their slow cooker for all sorts of meals. This is a very straightforward book. There's no introduction or explanation of slow cookers and pressure cookers. There's only an equivalence chart in the back with a short must have appliance and gadget list. The book goes straight into the first section, appetizer, snacks and spreads right away, This is a compilation of all sorts of recipes from all over the US, sent in by various home chefs.This is a simple book, with relatively uncomplicated recipes. It would make the perfect gift for the novice home chef, especially the college student who has just gotten their first apartment, The ingredients also are not fancy. It's what anyone , anywhere can find on their supermarket shelves in any of the fifty states. There are some fun chapters on bread that show a slow cooker gingerbread and hot drinks such as fruit punch and even hot chocolate. One thing that is lacking is that there should be a guide about what brand of slow cooker to buy, along with the difference between  pressure cookers and  slow cookers.

The recipes are charmingly American. Think your aunt's favorite recipe or a church potluck supper. There are sections on beef,pork, chicken, turkey and seafood.Stews reign supreme here and there are several recipes featuring  classic beef stew. For some variety there's a sweet-sour beef and vegetables.  Roast recipes are also popular and novice chefs can create slow cooked ones to impress their family and friends.Ribs are at their best when slow cooked and there are a few good recipes for barbecue spareribs and pulled pork. Chicken recipes take a turn back to the 1950's with a simple coq au vin recipe and one that features the creamy and comforting chicken ala king. Sides can also benefit from a turn in a slow cooker and. Ms. Good has several baked bean ones. There are also a section on vegetables that feature glazed carrots and carmelized onions along with corn stuffing balls and cheesy corn. Potatoes have their due here and there are all sorts of ways to cook them from scalloped to even baked potatoes in foil. Slow cooked desserts are usually baked apples - and yes they're reprsented here along with pudding cakes in different flavors like apple, lemon and chocolate. You can also make various dessert sauces too in a slow cooker.


The Fix It And Forget It Cookbook  is a must have for any busy home chef. It also makes a nice holiday gift for the novice home chef who just bought a slow cooker. The recipes are easy but filling, the perfect combination during these busy days,

The Sweet Side Of Polenta

Polenta has long been a savory meal. For years it's been drenched in everything from tomato sauce to eggs, be fried or grilled. Yet it can be used in sweet dishes as well,It's ot just for dinner anymore. It's for dessert and most surprisingly breakfast.

What is polenta? It's a dish of boiled cornmeal that's then baked, grilled or fried. It's derived from earlier pulses, hence the name, from spelt, faro and chestnut. The introduction of corn in the Columbian exchange changed the dish forever. Remember, there are two kinds, usually referred to as grinds. The coarser one makes for a firmer consistency , able to hold its' shape while the finer produces a creamy , soft texture. Use the coarser grinds for the breakfast polentas. One interesting dish is the corn made with cinnamon, brown sugar and nutmeg.Cook the polenta first and then add the sugar and spices, It's then pouring it out on a sheet tray and letting it chill for thirty minutes. Cut into squares and then fry, Serve with maple syrup and butter for a tasty breakfast.It can also be turned into a breakfast pudding.it's adding the meal to a boiled mixture of  milk vanilla bean and salt. A cup of sugar is then stirred in and it's served with Greek yogurt , honey and preserves such as apricot or marmalade.Try it with coconut milk , topped with strawberries and almonds.

Once you've tried sweet polenta, there's no stopping. It makes for an interesting dessert., because of the texture. A very trendy recipe in many Italian restaurants right now is chocolate polenta. This is an easy take on a classic chocolate pudding. Use the finer ground one for an extra creamy texture. It's cooking it for three minutes as it's whisked into a thin steady stream. Three tablespoons of sugar are added as is one teaspoon of vanilla extract and eight ounces of good dark  finely chopped chocolate.Stir until smooth and melted and served. Add a dollop of whipped cream or creme frache. Polenta can be cooked with butternut squash, coconut milk, and vanilla paste along with such spices as ground ginger and cinnamon for a healthy take on  it. Polenta is also an excellent base for cake too. Try it in a cake loaded with orange and coriander for a tasty and citrus-y dessert. Polenta can even take the popular form of the cupcake.It's mixed with regular flour to create a nice crumb. A cup of chopped strawberries and lemon zest are added for a nice fruity flavor and then they're iced with a strawberry lemon glaze.The Italians have been making polenta cookies for centuries. Try their buttery lemon infused swirls or simple tea cookies, perfect with espresso. The last can be dipped in melted dark or milk chocolate for a fancier party treat.

There is a sweet side to polenta. This classic Northern Italian dish can be made into a delicious breakfast pudding or a tasty orange infused cake. Use it to make fun cupcakes and buttery cookies. It's a great ingredient to any breakfast or dessert dish.

A True Cajun Mardi Gras

This is the time for Mardi Gras and all the flavors of New Orleans.However, it's the cuisine of the Cajun backwoods that's the true taste of the holiday. some recipes have been handed down , first originating in Nova Scotia and France and marrying dishes from Africa and Spain. Their traditional dishes is what the holiday is all about.

Gumbo is an excellent example of  Cajun cooking. Every family probably has a recipe handed down through the decades. Its origins are from the French seafood stew bouillabaisse and the hearty soups of West Africa.Okra is the binder in it,In fact the name gumbo comes from the Bantu word for the plant nkombo. Any kind of caught meat , from squirrel to venison is used. A meatless variation, gumbo z'herbes for Lent. made with beet greens spinach and turnip greens. Spanish colonists brought paella to the area and it was refashioned in jambalaya.Again, the recipe varies from family to family. The basic one is made with chicken and shrimp along with the holy trinity of Cajun cooking, celery onions, and bell peppers. Thyme, bay leaf and parsley are also added.  Some parish home chefs add andouille the homemade garlic laced sausage along with alligator (!). Tomato paste is omitted from the recipe unlike the professional ones in New Orleans.Crawfish is a huge part of any celebration and the spicier the better. The fish is dipped in a blend of paprika , cayenne and chile powder along with garlic , salt and pepper.

Sweets also plays an important part in any Cajun country celebration. There is the King Cake a fun sweet yeasty brioche type  bread. It's decorated with a vanilla glaze that's been sprinkled with gold, purple and green sugar. Gold symbolizes power, green means faith, and purple means justice . Home bakers hide little trinkets inside such as a coin meaning prosperity in the coming year, a baby doll representing the infant Jesus and a wedding ring , hinting at a possible marriage for the finder. Another sweet Mardi Gras treat is chocolate yummy  or pudding cake..It begins with a cookie base , followed by layers of chocolate pudding, sweetened cream cheese and Cool Whip. Every house has a different spin on it. Instead of cookies, the first layer can be a cake or a mixture of  flour , pecans and butter.. Some home bakers will add an extra layer of vanilla pudding to the layer of chocolate pudding. Instead of a third layer of Cool Whip, freshly whipped cream can easily be used as a third layer.Chopped pecans or chocolate chips can be sprinkled on top.


True Mardi Gras celebrations are in the parishes surrounding New Orleans. Locals revel and eat these delicious dishes that have been  handed down. It is a fun way of enjoying the last day before Lent.

Almonds Healthy, Versatile And Fun

Yummy   foods are just that  but usually  bad for you . Healthy foods are good for you but taste like cardboard. However there is a happy medium in the humble almonds. It makes a great nibble but also an interesting addition to meals from breakfast to dinner. Best of all it has so many benefits for almost every inch of your body.

Almonds are one of the oldest nuts around. They are a cousin of a peach , surprisingly and the wild form is highly poisonous, being filled with prussic acid or cyanide.The name comes from the old French almande which derives from the Greek amygdala The Greek name  is also used to described the almonds shaped portion of the brain amygdala. Remnants were found in Jordan as early as 3000, BCE  during the Bronze Age. They are grown throughout Europe and as far north as Iceland. California has the largest almond production in North America. They are eaten the world over from cookies in Italy and China to salted street snacks in Iran. They are also one of the most nutritionally dense foods in the world., being super rich in Vitamin E. They're chock full  of the various Vitamin Bs too and are saturated in five minerals: magnesium, copper, calcium, manganese and potassium.It is lethal to those who have allergies and American almonds are first pasteurized to prevent salmonella. The nut is also made into a milk which is a great alternative to soy and also as a butter similar to peanut butter.

ALmonds can be used in almost every meal. Add some slivered ones to oatmeal or cereal for crunch and flavor. Spiced almonds are always a fun snack to make for yourself or for friends.Toss almonds with cayenne pepper and cumin for a savory nibble with heat. For a sweet crunch sub in cinnamon and stevia or stevia and cocoa powder. You can also first bathe them in a sweet syrup of honey and water first to make the seasonings stick. Almonds are downright yummy in salads. Try an Oriental style one, chock full of  chicken strips, mandarin orange slices and almonds. Another idea is combining almonds , cranberries and blue cheese together with Romaine lettuce and a sweet carrot ginger dressing. Ground almonds are a great low calorie crust for chicken ,fish and even pork One of the most classic dishes is stringbean almondine. This French classic is easy to make  with sauting the nuts and green beans in butter.Almonds are big in Spain and it's evident in their desserts.Try a Mallorcan almond cake, a mix of ground almonds eggs lemon and sugar.It is then baked and served with almond ice cream. Hoemmade almond cookies are also a nice dessert as is the exotic almond pudding which can be made with bananas or peaches.

If you want a tasty and healthy food then eat almonds. They can be a part of your breakfast lunch or dinner. They're a great snack ,plain r spiced and are an elegant ingredient in desserts. Their versatility is boundless, perfect for hoe chefs who want to expand their expertise with healthy ingredients

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Impulse Shopping

Impulse shopping can be dangerous. That's how some wind up with luxury cars in their driveway or a luxe tennis bracelet in the jewelry box. Impulse shopping also applies to going to your local store. All those varieties and aromas get to us and we're hooked.We wind up buying food that will end in the garbage. The best bet is not to cave.Stay true to your shopping list.

To be honest it's hard not impulse buy when  you go to the grocery. I recentlydiscovered this while cleaning out my old fridge. It looked like a salute to pudding cups , some forgotten since the summer and long past their expiration date. I also realized I have a thing for jams too. Almost every flavor from raspberry to grape was there, Most of the jars only has a few scoops taken out of them. Cookies are another impulse buy that I have to curb. My baked goods drawer has three variations of Mallowmars.  What can I say?. I was lured in by the packaging and the fact that a couple of these are tasty. I then moved on to other treats, abandoning them .

How to curb impulse shopping? One, don't shop when 're hungry. You'll wind up buying everything that smells or looks good - which usually involves fattening foods. Two, don't cave to samples. Those free eats manufacturers set up are fun however don't feel obligated to buy the bags or packets. Thirdly, stick to your grocery list. Try not to veer off it, not matter how tempting those chips or ice cream sandwiches look; You may just eat one or two and then forget them within the week. If you do want to spring for a treat, think about getting a singular product like the Hostess or Entemann's treats. Also some groceries will elt you buy one donut or croissant from their bakery department.

Impulse shopping is bad. It's worse when it happens in your local grocery store. Try not to bend with it. Your stomach, health and wallet will be better off for it.

Cold Weather Comfort Foods

This is th e time of year when a good dish of comfort food comes in handy. There's; nothing as soothing as a warm plate of pasta or casserole. Even better is when it;s followed by a treat that we loved growing up. What better than to end days full of hectic shopping along with work and family demands
To me the best comfort food is still spaghetti. There;s nothing as delicious or as comforting as a big bowl of spaghettini or even angel hair, covered with home made sauce. Of course there has to be a loaf of fresh Italian bread that can be dipped into any extra left on the plate. Nothing beats homemade sauce redolent with fresh (or frozen ) basil form the garden, along with fresh garlic. Another favorite of mine is pasta con burro, spaghetti with just butter melted on it. It's plain and simple but oh so good. I know a variety of FP's readers love a good baked mac and cheese and it;s perfect during these chilly days and nights. The best ones ar e made with sharp cheddar and have a layer of crumbled bacon throughout .Even casseroles if done right are yummy. There's nothing like a recipe that started with your gran or great gran.

Of course dessert is synonymous with the phrase. Most people usually associate a bowl of chocolate pudding with Reddi Whip (here the States) as the ultimate comfort. food. Then there are the stovetop or microwave s'mores that can be made in a snap (and eaten even quicker). if you want a more decadent version sub in Vahlrona chocolate for the Hershey's; although the last is good too. Another fave is the Pillsbury slice and bake chocolate chip cookis. make a batch for yourself before any holiday baking. They're th e ultimate treat, espeically with a tall glass of milk. .

There's nothing like our favorite foods during these cold days and nights.Like a warm, fuzzy blanket they embrace us and bring us back to our childhoods. Happiness is more than a warm puppy , it a warm dish of home cooked love.