Culinary Misadventures: Stale Bread, A Lone Banana, And A Handful Of Chocolate Chips

One of my grandmother's best talents emerged out of necessity, living through lean times -- two world wars and the Great Depression --and then even leaner when her husband was disabled and died when my mom was a teenager.   Mammy never wasted her limited time and energy on complaining about what she didn't have, but approached times of need with an attitude of, "Well, let's see what we have to work with."   She lived with our family from before I was born, so i had a front row seat in watching that audacity manifest itself almost daily, her creations from food to clothing to home repair emerging from her sheer imagination.  I used to kid her that she could whip together a feast for unexpected guests out of an empty cupboard.  And indeed, that happened on more than one occasion.  And no one was the wiser.

Her imagination and "don't-let-anything-throw-you" attitude expanded to fit the occasion, no question ever of "if" but "how can we make this happen?"  I feared to come up with feeble excuses in front of this pioneering woman who was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 36 and spent 50 years as a widow.  Her perseverance was just a positive spin on what was fierce stubbornness. 

In my attempt to make a new recipe a week, I thought of Mammy's ingenuity when I tackled this new dessert which incorporates stale bread, a banana and leftover chocolate chips.  Sounds like something she would have concocted, but bread pudding is an item that can be found on every authentic Southern menu.  As it has chocolate in it -- one of my basic food groups -- it was worth trying out.  The recipe came from The Feed Zone Cookbook by Biju Thomas and Allen Lim,  who were the chefs who fueled the Tour de France cycling team.  I can imagine these chefs thinking, "Ok, so how do we fill these guys up today?"

Kind of like my grandmother looking at her empty cupboard with a twinkle in her eyes.  Approach your days with that kind of adventure.

And for dessert?  "Well, what do we have to work with?"  Mammy would say.   Enjoy!

Chocolate Bread Pudding

2 cups cubed bread
4 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup almond milk (I just used regular skim milk)
1/2 cup chocolate chips, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Sprinkle of cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped bananas

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9-inch round baking dish. (From my experience, an 8-inch pie pan would work better.)  Combine all ingredients except bread in a large mixing bowl.  Add bread cubes and let soak until cubes are thoroughly coated, about 10 minutes.  Add a bit more milk if all liquid has been absorbed.  Pour into prepared pan and bake in oven for 30-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. (Use toothpick method to test, not by sight, as it will look moist, even when done.). Scoop bread pudding into a small bowl for serving and garnish with fresh fruit. (I served it warm with a bit of ice cream and a few fresh sliced strawberries on top -- yes, for guests!).   Serves 6 realistically - recipe says 8.