Finally Able to Talk About It.

It's been several weeks now since HGTV announced the winner of the 2007 Dream Home. I apparently seem to the only one surprised by the fact that they didn't pick me. I had so much positive energy directed at that damn contest. I don't know how many hours I laid awake at night and imagined how much fun it would be to pack that place with my family and friends.

That's really the only reason I'd want a place that big - a place that sleeps TWELVE for heaven's sake. I love to entertain and have parties and have friends stay over... But OH did I want that house. It truly was the house I'd always dreamed of. The perfect kitchen. A large dining area withe a huge table. A wonderful lodge-y feel with big stone fireplaces and rough-hewn beams, looking out at the most incredible views of the mountains.

Dammit. It's going to take me a while to get over this one. I haven't watched HGTV since they announced the winner. I'm not sure when I'll be able to forgive them.

Sure, the logistics would have been complete hell. I'm not ready to move. Not while my mom's still alive - she needs me. And I really don't have any great desire to live in Colorado for that matter. I just really wanted the house. The furnishings were exquisite. The layout was perfect. Everything about that house was exactly what I've always wanted. Just the location sucked.

My heart is broken. All that shit about positive thinking and the power of believing in your dreams... right out the frigging window. My only consolation is that maybe this really would have been a giant disaster for me. A financial nightmare. An emotional drain. I guess if I really think about it, that's exactly what it would have been. But I still can't help but feel like a jilted lover.

Damn HGTV.

Bread Pudding to Die For

In my previous post I talked about the bread pudding I was going to make for our supper club last weekend. Oh.... My..... Gawd.... it was sinfully good. And a great item to take since I could do the majority of the work ahead of time. My title of "Dessert Queen" was once again well-deserved, as the contented smiles and loud "mmmmmmms" shone forth from the dinner table.

Here, for your enjoyment (and hopefully use!) is the recipe. THIS IS EASY - make it and impress your friends and/or family - they'll think you are a genius!!! (a side note - this is definitely NOT a diet-friendly recipe... quite the contrary - a real artery-buster. So... if you are counting your calories, run away NOW).

Nuevo Cubano Bread Pudding - Emeril Lagasse
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup 1/2-inch diced pineapple (I just used canned pineapple tidbits)
1 cup 1/2-inch diced bananas (about 1-1/2 bananas)
4 large eggs
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup coconut milk (usually in the baking isle - NOT the stuff for pina coladas!)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
6 cups 1/2-inch cubes day-old Cuban or French bread
1/2 (or more) cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
Confectioners' sugar, garnishPreheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Coconut-Rum Sauce
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (this is a WHOLE STICK - yeowch, but mmmmm)
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup coconut milk
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk, beaten
1/2 cup light rum (I used Bacardi GOLD rum, and it was EXCELLENT)

To begin:
Butter a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with 2 tablespoons of the butter (it didn't take that much butter for me... maybe only a tablespoon)

In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the pineapple and bananas and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

In a small saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the cream, coconut milk, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and allspice, and whisk well. (note: I always have a problem adding melted butter to cold ingredients like cream [it hardens and clumps] - so, to avoid that problem, add your butter to the brown sugar first, then mix that with the coconut milk - which isn't cold - then mix with everything else). Add the bread, fruit, and melted butter, and stir well to combine. Let sit until the bread is saturated. (doesn't take very long - 5 minutes or so.) Pour into the prepared dish.

(note: I thought the baking dish contents seemed "soupy" so added a few more chunks of bread here and there to soak up some of the liquid. HOWEVER, in hindsight, I was amazed how thoroughly all the liquid was absorbed during baking, so don't worry too much about the wet consistency if you follow the recipe's measurements!)

Bake until golden and firm when pressed in the center, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and cool slightly on a wire rack to set, about 20 minutes.

Serve on dessert plates. Spoon the rum sauce over the pudding and sprinkle each serving with the coconut and confectioners' sugar.

Coconut-Rum Sauce:
In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients except the rum. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the sauce has thickened and coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. (Do not allow the sauce to boil or the egg will curdle and the sauce will not be smooth.) Remove from the heat, whisk in rum, and set aside to cool slightly before serving.
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What was nice about this dessert was that I made the bread pudding late in the afternoon so that it was ready to take out of the oven about 15 minutes before we had to leave. I left it covered through dinner, and it was still slightly warm by the time dessert was served. I just took all the ingredients with me for the sauce, and whipped that together at the host's house. Use lots of sauce (boy is it good). Dust the dessert liberally with powdered sugar, and be sure to toast the coconut - it really adds a wonderful flavor and a bit of a crunchy texture. (to toast the coconut, lay out in a single layer on a cookie sheet and put in a 350 oven. In a few minutes, take out the sheet, spread the coconut around, cook another few minutes. Repeat until the coconut gets brown, but with a few white shreds still. Keep an eye on it, as it will burn easily.

The rest of the Hawaiian-themed meal was quite good. A really excellent pork loin recipe, some interesting salads, tasty vegetables, rice with pine nuts, and Navy Grog cocktails (whooo, those will kick your butt).

Now I just have to come up with an interesting recipe for potatoes for Easter Sunday... Hmmm. Any ideas?