Category: Food

Persimmon Pudding


Persimmon Pudding

Every year we buy Persimmons from the Nuns at the Mission San Jose in Fremont, and every year I make this persimmon pudding from them. I love persimmons, and this is one of my absolute favorite desserts. It used to be up on the Robert Mondavi website, but now appears to have disappeared due to reorganization, so I will put it up here for posterity.

Steamed Persimmon Pudding

Ingredients:
3 very ripe, soft Hachiya Persimmons (about 1 pound) stemmed
1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup sifted unbleached all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
In blender or food processor, puree persimmons (with skins); set aside. (Hint: Before putting persimmons in blender, slice roughly and check for seeds.) In large mixer bowl, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in egg to blend thoroughly. Into another bowl, sift the dry ingredients and mix into butter mixture alternately with milk in three additions. Mix in persimmon puree and vanilla to blend thoroughly. Generously butter a 1-quart mold. Pour batter into mold and cover tightly with a buttered lid or aluminum foil. Place a rack in a pot taller than the mold. Place the mold on rack and add enough boiling water to come halfway up side of mold. Cover the pot with a lid or aluminum foil.
Steam pudding over medium heat on the top of the stove or in a preheated 325-degree oven 1 1/2 hours, checking frequently and adding boiling water to maintain correct level. Remove mold from pot to cooling rack. Remove lid; set aside mold until lukewarm. Unmold onto plate and serve warm or at room temperature.

Buckwheat Cornbread

Buckwheat Cornbread with Bacon & Padron Peppers

Based on a recipe for Buckwheat Cornbread from the Washington Post.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups stone-ground yellow cornmeal (I like Bob’s Red Mill Masa Harina)
  • 1/2 cup stone-ground buckwheat flour (I like Bob’s Red Mill Buckwheat Flour)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar (optional)
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
  • 1/2 Cup Chopped Padron (or other) Peppers
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 1 3/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
  • 2 Tablespoons Butter
  • 1/4 Pound Bacon

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Whisk together the cornmeal, buckwheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl until thoroughly combined.

Cook the bacon in a hot 9″ cast iron skillet until crisp. Reserve crispy bacon and leave hot bacon grease in pan. Add onions and peppers to skillet with bacon fat and cook until softened. When veggies are soft and fragrant, remove from oven allow mixture to cool slightly.

Combine the eggs and buttermilk in a medium mixing bowl.

Add the buttermilk mixture to the cornmeal mixture, stirring just until combined. Fold vegetable/fat mixture and cooked bacon into batter. Transfer to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the corn bread to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Mustard Ruminations

Over the years I have always used Dijon mustard when making salad dressings, etc.

I always assumed the fine grind of the mustard seeds would be the thing that helped with emulsion.

The other day I was out of Dijon and instead used an old school whole grain mustard (Maille Old Style) when making a salad dressing.

Weirdly, it worked as an even more efficient emulsifier than the usual finely ground Dijon.

Seems to indicate that it isn’t the fine grind of the mustard, but some other factor which is aiding in emulsion of fats.