‘Mavis’s toys…& a Tapioca Brûlée

‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’ #40    ‘Mavis’s toys…& a tapioca brûlée

…’Mavis’s toys - Kochaleffels and Blowtorches…

 

You may recall my blog #34  in early April  - “An Acquired Taste” - with recipe:  “A  Kochaleffel’s  Kneidlach ” …  And what notion might ‘ You’  have,  in that busy mind of yours, could be a “Kochaleffel”? 

 

This is a wonderfully descriptive term , being a mixture of German and Lithuanian languages melded into Yiddish , the literal translation being :  “a cooking spoon”  – you know - to STIR-A-POT, yes! … a ‘pot stirrer’!

 

A “pot-stirrer”?:   Someone who “stirs”…in other words, someone who meddles in other peoples’ business, or someone who makes trouble…or…orrr  someone who…w-who just is a ‘BusyBody’, and knows about everyone’s business…… but ‘ Ouma Flo’    , would use this descriptively, as she taught me too.

 

To her , a “kochaleffel” was also an endearing term,  someone who keeps themselves extremely busy, knows everyone’s business – YES! - but what would the world be without them?... busy, busy , BUSY!

And So! …

A package arrives by foreign post to my most inconvenient  local Post Office – resulting in a frantic note in my mailbox demanding my ATTENTION!!!!... to collect a parcel at Claremont Post Office!

Now, please understand, that not only does one have to drive through major traffic  to reach said Post Office, but said Post Office is situated in the deepest depths of a maze of shops-and-passages-and-ramps-and-a-multiple-storeyed PAY-FOR parking garage…far, far from that uninviting entrance to that said Post Office - in the heart of traffic-stricken Claremont , and what a hassle for an impatient‘ no-nonsense cook’ , to reach it!

Why, oh WHY could they not heed my requests to relocate my zipcode!...just a couple of eenzy-wheenzy digits difference would make my suburban life much easier , if ONLY they would listen to me, the SA Postal Services….and deliver  ‘parcels foreign’, to tranquil, slothful KENILWORTH Post Office in it’s leafy Suburban street … KENILWORTH Post Office ,where doorstep-street-parking is always available; where an impatient‘ no-nonsense cook’ can hop out of the car and within 2 strides, enter the welcoming portico of dour faces, willing at a snail’s pace to help!

But no! , Claremont Post Office is the ‘preferred-receptacle-of-choice! ’ to receive unexpected gift from  ** “SisterAbroad” ** …Yes, a battery-operated tri-footed gyrating little monster… “As-seen-on-TV ”  - an automated pot stirrer!

Yes!   She  sent me my very own millennium-modern KOCHALEFFEL!

And how perfect a match that was to use in conjunction with Dear Val’s blowtorch – that most welcome birthday gift…Yes! 

’Mavis’s toys!

AND SO TO RECIPES…

 

     Tapioca Brûlée  

When last did you treat yourself to the divine textures of a warm tapioca pudding?

This recipe has that added *“oomfph”! *** – a delectable surprise to the palate, that crispy layer of hardened caramelized sugar, which , with the tap of the back of your spoon , will take you to astounding heights in textures and tastes, culminating in the soft round tapioca cushions!

 Remember… your ‘prep’ for this begins by soaking tapioca for 8 hours prior to cooking!

RAW TAPIOCA PEARLS

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup tapioca

4 cups warm water for soaking

Then you will need :

2 cups water to cook tapioca

½ cup sugar

3 ‘extra-large’/or ‘jumbo’ eggs

2 cups milk

2 teaspoon vanilla essence

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional – I prefer without)

And…

10 to 12 tablespoons sugar for the brûlée

METHOD:

1) Soak tapioca in 4 cups warm (not boiling) water for at least 8 hours

2) Drain

3) To cook the tapioca: In a pot, add 2 cups water with the drained tapioca, bring to the boil, then reduce to a medium heat, gently and slowly stirring constantly for 20 minutes, until the tapioca has become clear and transparent.

4) Remove pot from heat and set aside while you prepare the sugar/egg mixture…

5) Beat ½ cup sugar with 3 ‘jumbo’-size / ‘extra-large’ eggs, 2 cups milk and vanilla essence (and ground cinnamon as optional)

6) Add egg mixture to the tapioca, and gently mix

7) Spoon  into a lightly greased oven proof dish OR  use 10 to 12 individual-portion greased ramekins

8) Bake in a Bain Marie at 150 *C

*** for a large single pudding, bake at 150 *C for 90 minutes  

***** for individual ramekins, bake at 150 *C for 30 to 35 minutes – until still a bit wobbly in the centre. Remove from oven.

9) Leave to cool for a while, then remove from the Bain Marie.

Bain  Marie?   

 - a  ‘Bain Marie’  is a shallow water basin in which you place your filled dishes to bake – use an oven baking tray with enough water to reach ⅓ up the sides of the dish or ramekins.

A ‘Bain Marie’  is always used when baking egg&milk mixture desserts, to prevent a crust forming around the sides.

Lastly, for the  Brûlée :

  KITCHEN TOY -  BRULEE GUN

MOUTH-WATERING TAPIOCA BRULEE

Sprinkle 1 generous tablespoon of sugar over each baked ramekin, use kitchen blow torch (“brûlée gun”) to caramelize tops…

- or you can place all baked puddings closely under oven grill till sugar melts to caramel brown, forming a crisp sweet hard layer.

SERVE : warm or chilled!

".........'MAVIS's" TOYS & A SPOONFUL
 OF DELECTABLE TAPIOCA BRULEE

My newest KITCHEN TOY- 
gyrating 'kochaleffel'-
"as-seen-on-TV"

It's just a jump to the left...

...and a hop to the right...

And a swirl round and around...

...then a blurrrr and a whirl!

** *** Just wait till you see what’s-up NEXT  - you have a choice…ummmm?.....actually, no!

 I shall decide, and surrrrrpr-r-r-r-ise you!


Oh? - have you read my very, very 1^st blog ?... “ Preserved  Goose” ( “Confit  d’oie”). Mmmmmm…….

Or how ’Mavis  got her name, that's in blog# 9…“ Clora ”

–    see you next week….

 ‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’

STIRRING THE POT!

Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh...              How to comment on My  blog…

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So as usual - ‘til next week,

    ‘COOKINGWITHMAVIS’