How To Cook Everything's Chocolate Pudding

Chocolate Pudding

2 oz unsweetened chocolate
1/2 c. sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
pinch salt
3 eggs
2 1/2 c. half and half
2 tbsp softened butter
1 tsp vanilla

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or small saucepan. Meanwhile combine the sugar with cornstarch and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs and half and half. Stir the liquid into the powders and heat over medium heat, whistk to eliminate lumps and then stir until the mixture thickens. The recipe claimed 10 minutes, but after 25 I finally cranked the heat to medium high and got the job done in another five. Add the melted chocolate, and stir to combine. Add the butter and vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap, directly on the surface of the pudding. Refrigerate.

Rating: B-
Notes: Sad, huh! It seems so right! But the Joy of cooking vanilla recipe was just so much better. And the half and half and butter were excessive-- they didn't add anything. Too bad. Still infinitely better than anything instant, with a nice dark chocolate flavor. I'm just convinced there are better chocolate pudding recipes out there.

Roy's Roasted Corn and Sweet Potato Chowder

Roy's Roasted Corn and Sweet Potato Chowder

5 ears of corn with husks
1 bell pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 green pepper
1/5 lbs of sweet potatoes
1/4 c. olive oil
1/2 onion
5 garlic cloves
1/4 c. leeks
1/2 stalk celery
3 quarts vegetable stock
1/2 tbsp each fresh thyme and basil and chives
1 bay leaf
2 quarts cream
salt and pepper to taste

Roast the corn and bell peppers in a 350 oven. Remove peppers to a plastic bag after 20 minutes, let the corn go 10 more minutes. When the peppers are cool, peel seed and dice them.
Shuck the corn and cut the kernels from the cobs. Keep the cobs.
Boil the sweet potoatoes until soft, then dice.
Saute the onion, garlic, leeks, celery and corn COBS in the olive oil for 5 minutes. Add stock and herbs, boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until it reduced to 1 quart. Add the cream and simmer for 30 minutes over low heat to reduce. No boiling!
Strain into a clean pan. Simmer for 5-10 more minutes. Add the sweet potato, corn, and bell peppers, and season with S & P.

Rating: B- for excessive fussiness.

note: Sorry Roy, I took this one for a little ride. I just sauteed the corn and peppers with the onions, added the cooked sweet potato with the cream, halved the liquid, and voila. Tasty results in a fraction of the time. I'm sure the long drawn out version would be lovely, but not tonight. I'm thinking I might puree half of it.