Chocolate Comfort
From now on, I am keeping cubes of Hawaiian bread and a bag of semisweet chocolate chips in my freezer. I made individual servings of chocolate bread pudding last night from Cooking Light that Todd declared were "the best thing you have made so far."
So, in case I lose the recipe, here it is: Toast 2 cups of 1/2-inch cubes of Hawaiian bread (a slightly sweet white bread) in a 350 degree oven (I skipped this step because my cubes were stale). Mix 2/3 cup milk, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon flavored liquer (the recipe called for Kahlua, but I used Grand Marnier) and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a 4-cup glass measure or a medium bowl. Mix in the toasted cubes and chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. Split half the bread cubes between two 6-ounce ramekins, layer 1/2 tablespoon chocolate chips into each, then layer the remaining bread cubes over the top and sprinkle each with another 1/2 tablespoon chocolate chips. Bake in a waterbath in a 325 degree oven 35 minutes until set. We ate them warm.
One of my favorite ways to prepare bok choy is to blanch it, drain it, then drizzle it with hot oil and and soy sauce. Yum!
my friend ralph makes a super thai curry with bok choy (it's called pak soi here): he stirfries the sliced thicker stalks with diced chicken and lots of garlic, scallions and then thai green curry paste, adds coconut milk, lets it briefly bubble, then throws in the tender leaves and lots of basil. it's simple but SO delicious. it's on the table in like 5 minutes and it receives hours of compliments...
So tonight I need to use up the rest of the bok choy. I think I want to try it raw, though, although the Asian-influenced dishes you two mentioned give me some ideas. Maybe a ginger dressing with red pepper strips and scallions? I guess I'll experiment a bit tonight (husband's going to be in class).