Wednesday Pudding Blogging

(Ken Hively / LAT)

If you think pudding is just pudding, you haven't met my little dessert friend Budino. I've raved about Pizzeria Mozza before and will again (and as much as possible, given it's 95 miles away and a pizzeria, for chrissakes), but part of the reason for my gustatory enthusiasm is I might go there just for the desserts. Now I can make one of them at home by following the recipe kindly posted in the Los Angeles Times today. Of course, I have to whisk for pretty much 45 minutes, risk the thrilling witch's caldron boil and bubble moment that is caramel-making (twice), and then invite lots of people over or Amy and I have to consume 5 puddings each. But that doesn't mean we might not do just that.

The only sad thing about butterscotch budino is there's no scotch in there. But there is rum, at least in the recipe, not that the budino tastes of rum. As with all the fine dining takes on simple things, it seems layers of flavors make things richer and deeper and surprisingly complex--even the cream topping is whipped cream and creme fraiche (and no sugar, because the rest of the dish has sugar enough). Brilliance, ballance. As for mouth-feel (and this is a dessert worthy of wine-language), well, velvet isn't right, as cloth in the mouth is an experience a bit too hostagesque for me, and anyway it melts, although that isn't right, either, it evanesces, leaving the burnt sweetness of caramel and the wild tang of fleur de sel.

That damn Jello company has a lot to answer for.