On Mon 12 Dec 2005 01:51:09p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it jake?

> Sheldon wrote:
>
>> jake wrote:
>>
>>>In one word: it looked like GUNK. I had never sent tapioca pudding and
>>>never really used tapioca before. So I winged it (foodie arrogance). 1.3
>>>cups of tapioca, soaked in 2 cups of water. Which absorbed so quickly I
>>>added lots of milk after about 30 minutes of soaking. Boiled it. Found
>>>out I had to add much more milk. Added a little sugar. then even more
>>>milk. I wound up with 6 bowls of gunk.
>>>
>>>Still, it turned out way too solid for my taste. And I turn out not to
>>>be a great fan of the labor of tapioca. At the same time, it does seem
>>>to have all the makings to be a comfort food.
>>>
>>>Nonetheless, I doubt I'll ever make it again. But it's good to get to
>>>know what seems to be a tradition to people in North America (or am I
>>>mistaken?)
>>
>>
>> This works well...
>>
>> Pearl Tapioca Pudding
>>
>> 1/2 cup tapioca
>> 2 1/2 cups milk
>> 1/2 teas salt
>> 1/2 cup sugar
>> 2 eggs, separated
>> 1/2 teas vanilla
>>
>> Soak Tapioca in 2 cups room temp water overnight.
>> Drain water. In double boiler, heat milk until
>> just no longer cold. Add salt and tapioca. Continue
>> heating till small bubbles appear at side of pan.
>> Cover, turn heat to very low, and cook for one hour.
>> Make sure milk mixture does not simmer or boil.
>> Separate egg whites from yolks. Beat yolks and sugar
>> together till light yellow. Add a little of the hot
>> mixture to the egg yolks and blend. Then add yolk
>> mixture to the hot milk mixture, stirring constantly.
>> Place double boiler over medium heat and cook till
>> thick, about 15 minutes. Beat egg whites till stiff, fold into the hot
>> mixture, add vanilla. Serve warm or chilled.
>>
>>
>> Sheldon
>>
> Thank you. This looks a lot like what I had found in They Joy of
> Cooking, except that they double boiled for three whole hours, which I
> can't fit into my schedule. And I just couldn't believe that it would
> take that long. So I winged my recipe instead.
>

Long, slow cooking in a double boiler is essential for the best tapioca
pudding. It gives the tapioca ganules a chance to swell properly, become
tender, and contribute to the creamy texture.

If you don't have the time to make it properly, then you probably should
make it at all.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
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A chicken in every pot is a *LOT* of chicken!