Nobody loves me; everybody hates me. Guess I'll go eat...

I did not anticipate finding any fault with the infamous "dirt and worms" dessert that Brock and August made tonight.

However, I discovered that although I enjoy the components on their own (pudding, whipped cream, Oreos, gummy worms), they don't actually work well together. It's a cute idea, and cuter still with a sprig of "grass" (a clipping of chive) as garnish [nice one, guys], but the Oreo dirt, made muddy with a cold chocolate pudding, chills the worm and makes it extra tough and chewy. Additionally, the flavor of the gummy (or, at the very least, the red worm I found at the bottom of my plastic cup) seems medicinal and unpleasant when paired with the chocolate.

I'd happily eat another cupful of dirt, but I'd like future worms served on the side, please.

No one came over for pudding, so I ate it all myself.

That's a lie. I haven't eaten it all yet. I still have 4 ramekins in the fridge. This recipe for butterscotch budino (Italian for "pudding") was too much work, and very worth it. Assembled, from bottom to top, one ends up with butterscotch pudding, caramel sauce, Maldon sea salt, and cream whipped with crème fraiche.




p.s. I only have 4 ramekins, so I put the rest of the pudding in tea cups.


recipe from Great Gatherings by the Macy's Culinary Council, via Ruth Reichl.

Giant Movie Night: Thrills and Chills

Last week's film was a comedy, so I felt we needed something different this time around. We cranked up the fans and settled down with some chilled treats and a chilling flick.

GMN Week three
Film: Shallow Grave, one of my most-watched movies. I've probably seen it 6 or 7 times and it does not disappoint.
Snack: Vegan cranberry pomegranate gelatin, chocolate peanut butter pudding pie, frozen grapes, prosecco.
Guests: Dan, Rachel, Hero.
Outcome: The film's from 1994 and hardly seems dated at all. The pie recipe's my mom's, and it never gets old.

"My doctor said I wasn't supposed to get pudding in it!"

Kozy Shack Chocolate All Natural Pudding:

1. Since 1967
2. Kettle-cooked
3. Gluten free
4. HQ in Hicksville, NY
5. 0 grams trans-fat
6. "Good" source of calcium
7. Delicious -- a)rich; b)smooth; c)thick; d)chocolatey; e)classic; f)soothing

Poetry Tuesday Limericks: I don't care if the rhyme is right as long as the food is good.

There once was a girl born near Berkeley,
Whose camera took pictures too murkily.
And so she has naught
Of the pudding she brought
To the FEAST (Hope you don't find this jerkly).

------

(photo by Dan)

A girl from Dubuque, overheard,
Said, "For snackfoods I'm kind of a nerd."
"And to watch Rescue Dawn
I need pop-off-cob corn."
After that, she did not say a word.


(photo by Dan)

------

A young miss who has known two Manhattans
(So smoke on your pipe and put that in!)
Is happy to share
Several fries, if you care.
But she needs all her nuggets and napkins.