Pistachio Cranberry Bread Pudding

Sometimes there's left over french bread, a little hard around the edges. Certainly croutons or bread crumbs are excellent options as secondary uses, but why not go old-school and mix up some sweet and fruity bread pudding? This one is topped with a quick sauce of Dow's Tawny Port, Honey and Butter.

Pistachios and cranberries add something special to bread pudding

Pistachio Cranberry Bread Pudding
Serves 4
Active Prep: 15 Minutes
Inactive: 1 hour
Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients
½ loaf stale crusty french bread
2 cups milk
2 eggs
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons Pasolivo Citrus Olive Oil
⅛ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup chopped pistachios

Prep
Preheat oven 325 degrees
Butter inside of 6 ½” x 6 ½” square baking dish
Cut up bread in rough 1” chunks, soak 1 hour in milk
Chop pistachios
Soak cranberries in Citrus Olive Oil (substitute orange juice)

Directions
Beat eggs, sugar, vanilla and orange zest in small bowl. Fold into milk, bread mixture to thoroughly incorporate egg mixture and milk. Add cranberries and pistachios, stirs. Pour into buttered dish. Bake in oven for about an hour until browned and crusty on top and set in the middle. Use the toothpick test to make sure it is cooked all the way through.

Cook’s Tips
Pasolivo Citrus Olive Oil produced in California see http://www.pasolivo.com/
Serving suggestion, whipped cream is always a favorite, or try drizzling a mixture of Tawny Port, honey and a bit of butter warmed up in the microwave for about 30 seconds.

Yogurt and Harissa Marinade for Pork

Hooray, long weekend ahead and lots of grilling in our future! The weather is cooperating and I can smell the fruit wood smoke wafting into the kitchen window. I am so glad I thought ahead and marinated the bargain prices country ribs overnight and we have a weekend feast on a Tuesday.

On the foodie new front, I just read an article in the New York Times Food section that the US Department of Agriculture has lowered the recommended internal cooking temperature for pork down to 145º degrees from 160º. This is huge! No longer need we feel compelled to overcook this wonderful meat into medallions of dry, tough leather for fear of bacteria. These are modern times and it is legal to be juicy and show a little pink in the middle and I like it!

This recipe combines the cool of yogurt and hot of Harissa spread. If you haven't got Harissa, any spice will do, if you haven't got any spice, then God Bless You! (sung to the tune of Christmas is Coming)

On the Menu

Cucumber, Fennel, Radish Salad

Corn on the Cob

Country-Style Pork

On the Wine List:  Ten Acre 2008 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, 

Bella Vineyards and Wine Caves

Healdsburg, CA

Grilled Country-Style Pork

Yogurt Harissa Marinade for Country Pork
Marinate Overnight
Makes 1 Cup

Ingredients
4 good sized bone in country style pork ribs
1 cup plain yogurt
1 ½ tsp Harissa Spread
¼ cup Alton Brown’s Rub Number Nine

Prep
Premix Alton Brown’s Rub Number Nine  (makes a lot, store in refrigerator, last 3 months)
Blend yogurt and Harissa Spread together in a small bowl, taste and adjust for heat.

Directions
Rub each rib thoroughly with spice rub, then coat with yogurt mixture.
Place in large zipper plastic bag and refrigerate over night.
Cook on BBQ grill or in oven until about 145-150 degrees, let rest 3 minutes and serve.


Cook’s Tips and Info

If you don't have Harissa Spread, try substituting Sriracha Chili or Tabasco to taste.
Alton Brown's Backyard Baby Back Ribs - Rub Number Nine

About Christmas is Coming - Wikipedia

You can get Harissa Spread from Amazon or various other online stores. 

New York Times Cooking Temperature for Pork Is Lowered

CoCoNut Porter Sopa

The spring chills are still in the air with crisp breezes and bright sun sparkling during the day.  Yet, it is very cool on the coast in the evenings. Put your socks on kind of cold. So I'm thinking it is not too late in the season for a hearty soup bringing on the warmth like a welcome comfort blanket. 

In most things cooking I let the ingredients on hand dictate the outcome of any given meal. It is determining the possibilities that makes it all so darn fun.  Hidden in the downstairs refrigerator were three cans of Maui Brewing Companies CoCoNut Porter.  I first tried this on Maui at the brewery. (The canned version scored from BevMo.) Tonight's inspiration comes from the Silver Palate Beef Carbonnade recipe I've that prepared many times over the years and the fabulous Sopa at LaSalette, Sonoma.

A good 'ol beef chuck roast, sweet Vidalia onions, parsnips and bacon meld together into layers of  rich, velvety intensity. The CoCoNut Porter by itself has a chocolaty smooth flavor, with a hint of toasted coconuts and a back finish of coffee. Zounds! This Sopa is served with crusty day old french bread, mashed sweet and yukon potatoes.

Somewhere, pictured in my mind's eye is a Hawaiian shirt wearing person of Portuguese descent, holding up a pint and sending a wink my way. Aloha!

Chuck Roast is transformed into CoCoNut Porter Sopa!