{"id":6918,"date":"2019-07-03T05:25:16","date_gmt":"2019-07-03T11:25:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/villasentieri.com\/?post_type=recipe&p=6918"},"modified":"2026-09-02T10:58:39","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T17:58:39","slug":"bread-pudding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/2019\/07\/03\/bread-pudding\/","title":{"rendered":"Bread Pudding"},"content":{"rendered":"

July 3, 2019<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a Sunday morning in June.\u00a0 I\u2019m on the East Coast; Fire Island, New York to be exact.\u00a0 I\u2019m one-third of the way through a three-week stay on this slip of land south of Long Island.\u00a0 To the north of Fire Island is the Great South Bay, which separates it from Long Island.\u00a0 To the south is the Atlantic Ocean.<\/p>\n

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The Cherry Grove dock. It’s about 4 1\/2 miles across the Great South Bay to Sayville on Long Island.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Whenever I\u2019m here, I seem to channel my childhood as far as cooking goes.\u00a0 I find myself turning (though not exclusively, mind you) to the foods I grew up eating and loving.\u00a0 A few days ago for dinner I made Italian (OK, Italian-American) sausage with peppers and onions.<\/p>\n

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A view of downtown Cherry Grove.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Today I\u2019m making my mother\u2019s long-simmered Southern Italian Ragu (or Sugo or Tomato Sauce\u2026or, because I\u2019m in New York, Sunday Gravy).\u00a0 Growing up, we NEVER called Tomato Sauce of any sort \u201cGravy!\u201d\u00a0 It was usually just \u201cSauce,\u201d which we all knew meant mom\u2019s or Aunt Margie\u2019s or Aunt Mamie\u2019s or some other Italian-American woman\u2019s slow-cooked meat-and-tomato-based sauce for pasta.\u00a0 And we NEVER EVER used the word \u201cSunday\u201d as a modifier for \u201cSauce!\u201d<\/p>\n

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A tortoise greeted me on a walk from Cherry Grove to The Pines one morning.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Sauce was Sauce, it was sacrosanct.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t better or different or more elaborate because it was being made on Sunday.\u00a0 If by some chance it were to be made on Thursday (which it usually wasn\u2019t) it would still be made the same way.\u00a0 To be sure, there was some variability in the meats that were used.\u00a0 In my family\u2019s version there were always big pieces of pork, preferably bone-in.\u00a0 There could also be sausage (preferably hot), meatballs, and occasionally (and just for the cook) one chicken thigh (to \u201csweeten the sauce\u201d as my mother would say).\u00a0 Other than that, and the occasional appearance (or not) of an additional aromatic, like a small amount of minced onion or a hot pepper, the rest of the process was invariable.<\/p>\n

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Though there are some larger houses, many of the houses in Cherry Grove are small cottages.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I\u2019m making Sauce today because, well, it\u2019s Sunday and I\u2019m on the East Coast, and because I LOVE it.\u00a0 If I could, I\u2019d find an AM radio and tune it to a station playing Polkas (Is that even possible?).\u00a0 Aunt Mamie always did that on Sunday (despite being of Italian descent).\u00a0 It\u2019s one of those experiences from childhood that has had an outsized impact on me for some reason.\u00a0 The memory is quite simple:\u00a0 summertime, doors open , Aunt Mamie cooking, and her big green box radio sitting on a white enamel-topped free-standing kitchen cabinet near the door to her porch blaring out polka tunes.<\/p>\n

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The Tiki Bar can be a happening place during 2-4-1 happy hour!<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Many of my fondest memories are in the summer with the doors open, what can I say?\u00a0 It’s not like Aunt Mamie didn’t tune to polkas in the winter but that’s not what comes to mind!<\/span><\/p>\n

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One of the many boardwalks that make navigating Cherry Grove possible.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I\u2019m also making Bread Pudding today.\u00a0 One of those comfort-food desserts that I really enjoy.\u00a0 I know I\u2019ve mentioned this a time or three, but all of my favorite foods are carbohydrates.\u00a0 All of my favorite desserts are based on moderately complex carbohydrates (flour and rice, usually) without lots of extra fat (like butter) and without being overly sweet.\u00a0 Bread Pudding and Rice Pudding are near the top of the list.<\/p>\n

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Getting ready for the Fourth of July, a “house cat” is decked out with patriotic sunglasses.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Neither would be considered fit for company but I\u2019m foisting the bread pudding on our dinner guests today with the option of some heavy cream poured on top.\u00a0 I can always do a run to the store for gelato if I have a last-minute change of heart.\u00a0 And, it would be a \u201crun.\u201d\u00a0 There are no cars on this part of the island.\u00a0 There are some motorized carts that ply the boardwalks that crisscross the community, providing the only means of navigating the town.\u00a0 The carts are mostly used by contractors, businesses, trash pickup, the fire department, and the EMS.\u00a0 Although a few residents use small carts or electric scooters to get around, the rest of us walk and use wagons to cart things that are too heavy to carry.<\/p>\n

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Looking south toward the Atlantic Ocean with deer in the distance.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s a pretty idyllic place to spend part of the summer.<\/p>\n

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A view toward the dock and Great South Bay from the Tiki Bar.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It can also be an exciting and unpredictable place.\u00a0 Sunday afternoon an intense storm hit Long Island and Fire Island.\u00a0 Trees and power lines were downed.\u00a0 The storm put an end to internet service for more than forty-eight hours.\u00a0 That\u2019s the reason that this blog is getting posted a few days later than planned.<\/p>\n

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Part of the Cherry Grove Fire Department, an all-volunteer force.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Meanwhile, I\u2019m eagerly anticipating the arrival of the next urge to cook something from my childhood!

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Bread Pudding<\/h2>\n
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If the raisins or currants are not absolutely fresh and soft, cover them with hot water to plump up before adding them to the mixture. It is best if the bread is a few days old so that it has lost some of its moisture.<\/div>\n
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Prep Time <\/span>15 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div>
Cook Time <\/span>1 hour<\/span><\/span> hr<\/span> 20 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div>
Total Time <\/span>2 hours<\/span><\/span> hrs<\/span> 35 minutes<\/span><\/span> mins<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n
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Servings: <\/span>8<\/span> people<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Ingredients
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