Adventures in baking- bread pudding

So, I'm a self taught baker, you could say, and I have a few favorite things to bake. One of them that has been problematic is the bread pudding. The dish is really yummy (almost) every time I make it. There's meringue on top and jam/berries on the bottom with bread pudding yumminess in between. Or there should be, anyway.

Sometimes the bread pudding comes out like a custard or a flan. Yesterday I had to cook the thing for 2 hours before it was any approximation of set. Of course I thought that the pudding was ready 1 hour previously and like the good chef I am I whipped up the meringue. If you passed elementary math and know that 2-1=1, the meringue has now been sitting around for an HOUR waiting to be baked. Let's just say that meringue is about as patient as I am for chocolate when I'm pms-ing.

The meringue did a very interesting thing. First, while it was cooking it puffed up to about 3X it's previous size, growing into the meringue monster from outer space and reaching up to rub shoulders with the filaments in my small oven. Then, after I rescued it from itself it shrank down into a tiny meringue patty.

This is what I get for making the meringue wait.

On the upside, I finally bought an electric mixer. For everyone who's eaten my meringue they've eaten the hubby's sore forearm from whisking that meringue into existence through pure willpower and determination. I think he cried tears of joy inside when I showed him the new addition to our tiny tiny kitchen and our many appliances. So, next time when I time it all right, my meringue will look like this:


Now all I have to do it eat. Mmmm.

Beggers cant be choosers.

I started the new job last week, although Monday was my first day of actually teaching a full day of classes. This is going to be a long semester. I'm scheduled Monday and Wednesday to teach 8 hours, straight through with no lunch break. Yikes. Of course, no one really does that; for each two hour course we only teach an hour and a half, but still, that leaves me with 30 minutes for lunch and to relax/get ready between classes. Yesterday was my first day to do that and I felt like this afterwards, but with a headache:
It doesn't help that I couldn't sleep the night before from nerves, so maybe later in the semester it'll be easier once I'm not all jitters anymore. I sure hope that I learn to deal with this schedule soon, or else I'm going to turn into this:
Thank goodness for Tuesdays off and only one class on Thursday and Friday!

Grapefruit of the sea

Sometimes it's surprising what you get in Korea. Frequently the translation leaves something to be desired, but I try to make that into an adventure; a tiny bit of excitement every time I order a meal at a new restaurant or try a drink for the first time.

Today's adventures included a quesadilla that lacked in the queso department but compensated with teriyaki sauce, buying Chinese booze in a juice cup, and ordering a grapefruit tea at a new (to me) cafe. Now, when you order something called grapefruit tea you might expect it to be tea with something to give it the flavoring of a grapefruit. What? How boring! You have no imagination.

No, this was the fruit from inside a grapefruit scooped into a giant mug, with hot water poured on top. And it was FREAKING AMAZING. I liked it so much I'm planning to have it every day once I move back to Texas where grapefruits are affordable. Plus, for those of us who appreciate aesthetics, the tea was beautiful; the top was a sea of pulp. A very delectably delicious sea. Maybe the pulp was the fish in the sea of hot grapefruit juice? I don't know, maybe that wasn't the best metaphor. In any case, it was damn good.

Just say watermelon, watermelon, watermelon

In college I was a music major, although looking at my current career you'd never guess it. We performed all kinds of operas, musicals and operettas. (can you tell I was a singer?) Sometimes in these shows everyone on stage is supposed to look like they're really involved in an important discussion, or there's a big group on stage reacting to the storyline with an outburst of conversation.

Know what they're saying?

Watermelon.

I think I may now have my rights as a musician stripped away for revealing the secrets of our organization. I hope you appreciate this sacrifice.

I'm willing to turn my back on the establishment because I'm lonely-for-music and I'll take any attention I can get at this point from the music world. Korea isn't exactly a thriving environment for opera singers. Plus, I've been typecast my whole singing career. Let's see if you can figure out why:

::Heard every time I ever sang for anyone for the first time:: "Oh my! You have such a big voice for such a small girl!"

My roles: Gretel (as in Hansel and Gretel), Little Red Riding Hood, various children when I really wanted to play the lead already!

Yes, I'm small. I'm not one of the 'little people' or anything, but others might disagree with that statement. No one ever wants to have a Susanna whose head only comes up to Figaro's nipple.

Humph.

Do you have time for this? Neither do I.

And yet, here I am. Why? Because I like commenting on everyone's posts so much I want you to comment on mine too just to make me happy. Ok? Ok. Glad we can agree.

Alright, you caught me. I love hearing all of your stories and I think that I might be able to share a few as well. You got the truth out of me. Happy? I hope so.

I guess you might want to know who I am if I'm asking you to pay attention to me. I'm Rosie.