Rainy Day Bread Pudding

What to do on a stormy day—this is one question I have an easy answer to.  Aside from keeping updated on the latest weather bulletin, I just find it so enticing to make something rich yet comforting on any rainy day.  We were lucky enough to experience only an hour of blackout, so while Brandon and Trixie practically napped the whole day, I made Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding.  I got the recipe from Periplus’ Crazy for Chocolate Cookbook (gift from Stew from way, way back) and the result was just what I wanted.  It’s really rich and satisfying being made from dark chocolate, yet it’s so homey and so easy to prepare since the base is just white bread.  It was great served warm with vanilla ice cream but it tasted heavenly served cold the following day.  I’m posting the recipe here for you to enjoy this on your rainy days! 

 

Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding

60g butter (I used only half)

6 slices fruit-loaf bread (I used soft white bread)

½ cup milk

2 cups thick cream

½ cup caster sugar (Plain white will do)

100g dark cooking chocolate, chopped (I used bittersweet couverture)

4 eggs, lightly beaten

½ cup dark choc bits (I used less than a half cup of Hershey’s semi-sweet choc chips)

2 tablespoons golden syrup (I didn’t have any so I omitted this)

 

Procedure

Preheat oven to 160C/ 315F.  Brush a 4-cup capacity baking dish with oil or melted butter.

Spread butter on bread.  Cut bread into diagonal quarters.  Place bread in dish in single layer, overlapping it.

Combine milk, cream and sugar in medium pan, stir over low heat until sugar dissolves.  Bring to boil, remove from heat.  Add chocolate; stir mixture until melted and smooth.  Cool slightly; gradually whisk in eggs.

Pour half the custard mixture over bread, stand 10 minutes or until bread absorbs most of the liquid.  Pour over remaining custard mixture.  Sprinkle with choc bits.  Drizzle with golden syrup.  Bake 40-45 minutes or until set and slightly puffed and golden.  Serve warm or cold with cream or ice cream.

Fruity Prawn Salad

There are days when you just want to indulge.  After a busy day at home, I was in need of something rich, creamy and refreshing, but I also needed to keep my toddler busy with a fun activity for her to do.  And so I thought of making this quick salad to satisfy my craving and get my daughter involved in the kitchen.  I might as well call this “Trixie’s Fun Salad” because she basically did all the mixing, while snacking on the fruits and having oodles of fun!   

 

Fruity Prawn Salad

(Serves 8)

1 can Fruit Cocktail (My favorite is Del Monte Fiesta Fruit Salad.  The fruits are crunchy and not too sweet.)

½ kilo Fresh Prawns

1/2 cup real mayonnaise

1/4 of a big can of Condensed Milk (or approximately half of a small can)

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Procedure:

Drain the fruit cocktail and reserve the syrup.  Set aside.

Place the syrup in a sauce pan and boil the prawns in it, until fully cooked.  Remove heads and shell of the prawns then cut in half through the back of the prawns, then remove the veins.

In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise and condensed milk.  (If you want a sweeter dressing, add more condensed milk.)  Season the dressing with salt and pepper.

Add the fruits and prawns.  Toss well then serve. (You may opt to chill the salad, but I liked it at room temperature.)

 
Tip:  Make this salad even more colorful by serving it on lettuce cups.  Now that will be more impressive!

 

 

West Side Story

My friend Stew is also selling tickets to the Broadway-hit musical WEST SIDE STORY on September 12, 2008, Friday. Venue will be at the Meralco Theater, 8pm.

For ticket and show inquiries, you may email Stew (song1@jnjph.jnj.com) or SMS him directly (+63917-8735412).

HAIRSPRAY the MUSICAL

My friend Stew is selling tickets for  November 14 (Friday) and November 23 (Sunday).  It's a great show, winning 8 Tony Awards in Broadway.  It's also being produced and directed by the same group as Rent, Avenue Q and Cinderella. Venue will be at the Star Theater, CCP Complex, 8pm. 

For ticket and show inquiries, you may email Stew (song1@jnjph.jnj.com) or SMS him directly (+63917-8735412)

China Man in Action!

Shanghai La Mien is our new favorite noodle place in Banawe and Trixie just loves watching how the noodles are made. This is amazing, and most important of all, the noodles taste great.

Shanghai La Mien

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Restaurants
Cuisine:	Chinese
Location:	Banawe, corner NS Amoranto Street, QC

Shanghai La Mien is truly a delightful discovery. An authentic China man makes your hand-pulled noodles upon order and it's amazing to watch how he makes those noodles (check out the video we took of the China man in action!) You basically make three choices when you look at their menu- first, dry or noodles in soup; second, choose among beef, fish, chicken, pork or dumplings; and third, the size of the noodles which are either round or flat, big or small. They have added Chowmein to their menu as well and they're also good. We love their fried dumplings which go well with the noodles. The portion is really big (which is just great for me and Brandon) and the price very, very reasonable. This is our family's new favorite place in Banawe.