Low and slow

When was the last time you made pudding? Not the instant stuff. Not being judgey because instant pudding can be magical, however it is time - because we have time - to make things that take hours vs. minutes.

I bought a bag of tapioca recently. Tapioca pudding reminds me of my childhood. My mother used to make it. Not for me, but for one of my friends who had a rather tumultuous childhood. This friend basically lived with us for quite a while because her parents were just unable to be parents. It happens. And she loved tapioca pudding. My mother knew how to soothe people with food.

There is instant tapioca and it's good. But then there is Betty Ann's tapioca that takes hours to make. You have to soak the pearls overnight. They are cooked in warm milk over a double boiler for an hour. Eggs must be separated, creamed with sugar and then whites whipped. All folded until creamy. It's a lot of work. For pudding.