Fresh Approach Cooking

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OK now my friends. If you have been following along, (from my post earlier this morning. Scroll down just one post. See, there it is) you've got a big-ol' crock of roasted garlic (wait, did that sound at all appetizing? Maybe I should have said, a lovely pile? Nope. Glorious quantity? Excessive amounts? Oh well, whatever.) and you may want to actually do something with it.

Well, it just so happens, I cannot think of anything more fantastically divine to combine that garlic with than a heady, savory bread pudding. (That is not in the slightest bit lo-cal.) Specifically roasted garlic and leek bread pudding. It's a staple on my Thanksgiving (and by my, I mean, it's what I contribute to the harvest bounty that buckles Auntie Shesh's buffet-o-plenty) table and is a fam-fave indeed.

I know it may sound a touch out there, but it is extra-durned tasty and the smell as it is baking is so enticing, it could lure in passersby straight off of the street. I kid you not. (So, you know, make sure the doors are locked and the alarm is set, ok? I cannot be held responsible.) If you have any kind of love for garlic, this is the side dish for you. The top is crunchy, the interior is soft and redolent with the nutty warmth of the garlic. To glam it up, you could add, say, shallots, red onions and maybe some caramelized brown onions, or even some rosemary, olives or toasted walnuts, but for me, this is sinfully delectable just the way it is. Try it my dearies, and enjoy.


6 slices stale roasted garlic bread (or any whole wheat)
1 cup heavy cream (yup)
1/2 cup milk (full. 3%. whole...whatever you call it)
2 tablespoons roasted garlic puree
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
2 leeks, white part only, rinsed and sliced thin
1/2 brown onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
4 egg yolks


In a small sauce pan, gently simmer the cream, milk, garlic puree, thyme, leeks, onion, garlic, salt and pepper for about three minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to steep for another few minutes. (Exact, aren't I?)

Meanwhile, cut up the bread into cubes. Put into a large bowl and add the cream mixture. Mix to coat the bread and let soak for about 10 minutes, and up to a half hour.

Preheat your oven to 375F

After it has soaked, mix the egg yolks in to the bread.

Coat a 8x8 baking dish with (roasted garlic) olive oil, or 6 individual ramekins

Pour the bread mixture into the dish, cover with foil, place on a baking sheet (in case it bubbles over) and bake for 30 minutes. The pudding will have puffed up for sure. Remove the foil and continue to bake until golden brown on top. This will take about another 10 minutes. Keep an eye on it.

When browned, remove the pudding from the oven, let cool slightly and serve.

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General Mills' brands include: Pop Secret, Muir Glen, Green Giant, Cheerios, Haagen-Dazs, Bisquick, Old El Paso, Wheaties, Yoplait, Hamburger Helper, Cascadian Farms and Pillsbury, among others.

Waddya know. Another Los Angeles Times Wednesday Food Section is out, and still no mention of Los Angeles' Amazing Food Bloggers. Harumpf.

Leeks are a delicately flavored member of the onion family, native to the Mediterranean

Labels: Side-Dish, Vegetarian