Vietnamese Coffee Pudding

Strong coffee + absurd amounts of sweetened condensed milk = deliciously addictive Vietnamese Coffee. I’ve made it both on its own and in popsicle form. Both are delicious, as is this pudding.

Because it offers the change to layer the flavors, I chose not to sweeten the coffee too much and to overly sweeten the whipped cream. It makes a lovely mix of the earthy, slight bitterness of the coffee and the almost saccharine sweetness of the condensed milk.

Additionally, this ratio of cornstarch and eggs yolks to liquid is extremely versatile. You can use just about any liquid to make a pudding that will come out perfectly every time. Just remember to start it off the heat and then to whisk constantly when it’s on the stove. It also may need a quick whip after chilling because it likes to set up kinda stiff.

Vietnamese Coffee Pudding

For the pudding:

¼ cup cornstarch

2 egg yolks

2 ½ cups strong coffee

½ cup sweetened condensed milk

For the whipped cream:

½ cup heavy cream

½ cup sweetened condensed milk

In a medium saucepan, not over heat, whisk together the cornstarch and egg yolks until completely combined. Mix together the coffee and sweetened condensed milk. Very slowly whisk in the coffee mixture – a tablespoon at a time at first to avoid lumps – until thoroughly combined. Place the saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened. Pour into a heat proof dish and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to avoid a skin as it cools. Place in the refrigerator and chill completely.

Meanwhile, whisk (either by hand or machine) the heavy cream and sweetened condensed milk until medium-stiff peaks form. Serve the chilled pudding with a dollop of whipped cream and a chocolate-covered espresso bean or chocolate covered pretzel to garnish.



passion fruit semifreddo

You know what I love the most about passion fruit? When the produce boy sells them to you at a steep discount because "they're all wrinkly, they must be old."

It's a beautiful thing - especially considering that last time I saw passion fruit at Whole Foods they were $2 each. Ouch.

For those of you unfamiliar with this tasty, tropical fruit, wrinkly skin is a good sign. It indicates that the fruit is ripe and sweet. A passion fruit with shiny, smooth skin is unripe. So the next time you see a store trying to get rid of their old, wrinkly passion fruits - snatch them up, my friend. Them's some good eats.

Semifreddos are an Italian dessert kind of like a frozen mousse. Instead of using the traditional churning method of most frozen desserts, the flavorful base is folded into pillowy whipped cream and frozen, usually in a mold. It's then turned out and sliced, sometimes served with a sauce.

Succinctly, they're rich, creamy, delicious, and so easy a trained monkey could make one. So make one, impress your friends, and add an inch or two to your waistline.

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Chicken Pot Pie

It seems like the style of recipe that pops it's head up most frequently around the interwebz are those that can be made quickly and cheaply. In other words, a weeknight kind of meal that can be popped in the oven after a long day of work/school/child-rearing and taste like hours spent slaving over that proverbial stove.

If one of those recipes happens to be of a quintessential comfort food - say like chicken pot pie - then it seems to be even more popular.

I made these a weekend or two ago when my in-laws came to visit. I like the versatility of this method that allows for immediate consumption or night-before preparation. If you'd like to make these a day ahead just prep the filling, fill the ramekins, and cover with the puff pastry. Brush with a beaten egg right before popping in the oven and enjoy - home cooked meal on a weekday night.

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Apple Cider Ice Cream

There are few things more synonymous with fall than apple cider.

The leaves are starting to change, there's a brisk edge to the breeze, and sandals are exchanged for über-cute boots. What could be more comfortable than curling up in a big fluffy blanket on the sofa with a great movie on the television and a big, steaming mug of spiced apple cider in hand?

Well, when you're in North Carolina and the temperature is routinely swinging from rainy and 55°F and sunny and 80°F, apple cider ice cream seems a bit more appropriate.

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Eggs en Cocotte with Creamed Mushrooms

If you've never tried cognac creamed mushrooms before, I suggest you do so soon. It's easily one of the world's best flavor combinations.

I happened to catch an episode of Jacque Pepin's show on PBS while TA and I were staying in temp lodging when we first moved to North Carolina. As he was putting together the creamed mushrooms I decided that it looked delicious and that I absolutely had to try this out.

Then I realized that I already had.

I had made a pasta sauce from scratch to enter in the Buitoni pasta contest - it's exactly the same ingredients. If you try the eggs and enjoy, you'll definitely love my wild mushroom agnolotti with cognac-cream sauce and baby pea shoots.

Even if I had already discovered this medley of deliciousness on my own, I still had to try Jacque Pepin's eggs. He's easily one of my favorite chefs - a pillar of the French culinary community - and definitely worth learning from. If culinary prowess could be measured (and I think it can) he would be worth approximately three Rachel's, 4 Paula's, both the Neely's, and about 14 Guy Fieri's.

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