Dutch Oven Bread Pudding

The last couple days I've had two opportunities to try a new recipe: Dutch Oven Bread Pudding (in case you missed the title of the post). I couldn't believe how good it tasted. Well, okay, when you look at the ingredients it's not at all surprising that it tastes that good.

I figured it would be good to post the recipe I used, in addition to some of the things I found to be very important when making it. That way I'll know where to find the recipe in a couple weeks when I make it again.

I'm a little embarrassed that out of two full pots of the stuff I didn't think to take a single picture. I'll add a picture to the post the next time I make it.

Up until this week I had never really thought of making desserts other than cobblers in a dutch oven. On Saturday, though, we had lunch at Famous Dave's and we've grown to love the bread pudding there. But we just didn't have any room for it at the time. So after a quick internet search I found a recipe that turned out just perfect.

Here it is (the original recipe can be found at dutchovenchef.com).

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf day-old French bread
• 3/4 cup golden raisins (optional)
• 8 eggs, beaten
• 4 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

For the sauce:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

I started by cutting the bread into 1x1 inch strips and put it all in a size 12 dutch oven. Then, in a separate bowl, I mixed the eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla, then dumped the mixture over the bread. It's important to make sure all the bread gets dunked, so I took a fork and pressed all the floaters down into the milk and egg mixture. At this point I added the raisins, but I suppose you could do that any time (before you cook it).

Depending on the crowd you're cooking for, you may want to leave a raisin-free section. I'm not a fan of raisins in things (I'm really trying to like them, though) but the raisins in this really didn't bother me too much. Oh, the original recipe called for golden raisins, but we just used regular brown(?) raisins. Well, we used sweetened raisins, which may have made the difference. We also didn't use anywhere near 3/4 cup of raisins.

I found the cooking instructions were exactly right: 8 coals on the bottom, 16 on the top, for 45 minutes. It was also essential to rotate both the dutch oven and the lid 90 degrees every 10 minutes.

About 30 minutes into the cooking time, I made up the sauce by melting the butter in a sauce pan, then adding the sugar, egg, and vanilla (mixed together separately). Stir it constantly for about 10 minutes on medium high heat. It should firm up a bit as you stir.

When it's done, serve the pudding with a bit of the sauce on top. It tasted really good with some vanilla ice cream, too.

It tasted great, and wasn't much more work than a regular cobbler. Enjoy!

New Blog

I've finally launched my new blog to contain all my hiking adventures. You can find it at: http://asmallstepfordan.blogspot.com/

From time to time I think up great ideas for blog titles and hurry and register them so nobody else can get them. Some have been more clever than others. I think this blog is one of my better ones: A Small Step for Dan, a Giant Leap for Mankind.

My other blog, http://realisticexpectorations.blogspot.com/ is pretty clever too, but not nearly as useful.

Anyway, check out the new blog if you're interested in that stuff. I'll reserve this blog for my strange, random thoughts. Hopefully I'll have more of those soon.

Wetshaving

Awhile back I came across a great post on one of my favorite blogs, ArtOfManliness.com about wetshaving. I had never known there was an alternative to the 2- and 3- blade razors they sell for way too much. So I looked into it a bit, priced out some options, and eventually took the plunge.

It cost a bit to get set up with the equipment, but the razor and brush should last at least a lifetime. And the replacement blades cost between 10 and 25 cents apiece, rather than $2.50-$3.00.

I have to say, though, that the cost savings over time wasn't really the appeal to me. It always felt like something was missing from my shaves. It felt silly to squirt foam from a can and pull a wimpy piece of plastic with a couple little slivers of metal across my face. Is that really how men shave?

That's how men have been shaving for a generation or so, but what did men do before that? They made their own foam with a the fur of a dead animal and spread it on their faces, then used actual metal blades sandwiched in a heavy hunk of shiny metal to remove their whiskers. I wanted to be a part of that. It's similar to my reasoning for wanting to become proficient at using chopsticks: If the majority of the world's population can do it, then why can't I?

If you want to try wetshaving, you'll need a couple things. First, obviously, a safety razor (you could go with a straight razor, but I'd suggest working up to that). You could continue to use foam from a can, but I'd recommend getting a badger brush and some shaving soap. I was able to get everything from Amazon.com. It's a little difficult to find the equipment at local stores. Wal-Mart has some good replacement blades and most stores sell the soap, but there's a limited selection.

I've found that it works best to shave right after showering; you have to soak your whiskers to get them soft enough to cut comfortably. I put the razor and the brush in the sink half-full of the hottest water the house can produce before getting in the shower so that the brush can soak, too.

After showering, I drain the now-cold water and fill the sink again. Then I'll take the brush, shake it a little to remove some of the water, and mix up some foam with the soap.  The soap I bought comes in its own bowl, so you just mix it up in the bowl, but you could also get a separate shaving mug to mix the soap (or cream) in.

Wetshaving is not nearly as fast as shaving with a plastic razor and foam from a can. It may not even be a closer shave; it's hard to compare. You also have to be a lot more conscious of what you're doing. You actually have to hold the razor at the right angle (a plastic razor adjusts for you) and have to keep from pressing too hard (plastic razors won't allow you to press too hard). It forces you to be more in tune with the razor.

Swirl the foam onto your face in a circular motion, pushing it up under all the whiskers on your face. Hit each area from different directions to make sure you get it all covered.

Then let it sit on your face for a few minutes to penetrate the whiskers. This is a good time to put in hair gel or deodorant. 

I like to shave once with the grain of the whiskers, then once against the grain (reapplying the foam every time). Then I'll just do a spot check, rubbing my face with one hand, finding a spot that needs extra attention, lathering it up, then shaving it again. There are a couple trouble spots on my neck that I can never seem to hit right the first couple passes.

When you're finished, wash your face with cold water to close the pores, dry it off with a towel, and enjoy knowing that you're shaving the way millions of real men shaved before you.