Lousy Weekend. Exchange.

Sorry, not much to write. Had a migraine since the early hours of Saturday morning and although it’s not so bad now, it’s still there. So bad I couldn’t drink wine on Saturday nor champagne on Sunday. Now that’s bad. Not only that, Friday and Saturday the wind blew and the snow flew making it miserably cold in our apartment again necessitating the use of the stove again. We have got to get ourselves a heater for times like this. So, basically, I don’t feel up to much writing at all.

It was also pointed out to me that the Canadian dollar has been dropping lately so that, right now, it would cost us $20 to buy $100 US. Depressing because that may mean our US vacation would be too expensive. Although Matt did get a pension increase last week, a whole $3.88 a month! Meanwhile Canada’s premier, Stephen Harper, has promised billions to the Palestinians.

Can you tell I’m fed up?

This pudding from Food & Wine would make me better now wouldn’t it?  I have got most of the ingredients on hand to make this, but no cream and no cooking chocolate.  I’ll probably end up with soup in fact.

Double-Chocolate Pudding

Contributed by Richard Sax

• SERVINGS: 6

This recipe from the late, great cookbook author Richard Sax has everything one could ask for in a chocolate pudding—an intense flavour and a silky texture that's still firm enough to stand a spoon in. For the best possible pudding, use top-quality cocoa powder and chocolate.

1. 2 1/4 cups whole milk
2. 1/2 cup sugar
3. Pinch of salt
4. 2 tablespoons cornstarch
5. 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
6. 1 large egg
7. 2 large egg yolks
8. 5 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
9. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
10. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
11. Lightly whipped cream, for serving

1. In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups of the milk with 1/4 cup of the sugar and the salt and bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the cornstarch with the unsweetened cocoa powder and the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar until blended. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of milk and whisk until smooth. Whisk this mixture into the hot milk in the saucepan and bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to moderately low and simmer, whisking constantly, until the pudding is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the whole egg with the egg yolks. Gradually whisk about 1 cup of the hot cocoa pudding into the eggs until thoroughly incorporated, then scrape the pudding back into the saucepan. Cook the pudding over moderate heat, whisking constantly, until it just comes to boil, about 2 minutes.
4. Strain the pudding into a medium heatproof bowl. Add the chopped chocolate, butter and vanilla and whisk until the chocolate and butter are melted and incorporated and the pudding is smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer the pudding to six 6-ounce ramekins and refrigerate until chilled. (If you're not in a hurry, press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding in the bowl and refrigerate.) Serve with lightly whipped cream.

Make Ahead The chocolate pudding can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Hope you have a great day.