On a blue day....

The only thing that helps is cooking. There is so much that can set me off, friends, too high of expectations, lack of children blah blah blah. So I cook. I have been dying to try this Tapioca Coconut Pudding from Sunset Magazine, so it's my first project. Had no fresh vanilla bean, ah well, but used vanilla extract and added a tablespoon of rum instead. I think tasty!

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup small pearl tapioca
• 1 can (13.5 oz.) coconut milk (I use low fat)
• About 1 cup soy milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon Rum (my addition, not needed but very good!)
• chopped fresh fruit such as mango, papaya, kiwi fruit, passion fruit, pineapple

Preparation

1. In a medium saucepan, cook tapioca in 1 1/2 qts. boiling water until only slightly chewy to the bite, 5 to 8 minutes. Pour through a fine strainer.

2. Meanwhile, in another medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the coconut milk, 1 cup soy milk, the sugar and vanilla until steaming, 6 to 8 minutes.

3. Stir drained tapioca into vanilla mixture. Cook, stirring often, until tapioca pearls are clear and just tender, 3 to 6 minutes.

4. Let pudding cool, then chill, stirring occasionally, at least 1 1/4 hours.

5. Spoon pudding into tall glasses. Top with fresh fruit.

If pudding is too thin, adjust the amount of tapioca (use a little more) and milk (use a little less)

Next on my blues list: Gougere, from a recipe by Molly Wizenberg, she blogs as Orangette. Just the thought is uplifting.

So I made dinner out of my creations. Gougere, 4 to be exact, with a glass of Soave, divine, and for dessert, the pudding with fresh figs and cantaloupe, not so bad!