In general I stick with the old school real tapioca called Pearl Tapioca that is a pain in the ass to make. FIrst you have to soak it overnight - kind of like dried beans. Then you have to cook it for hours in water and milk and stirring all the time. Now, if you are going to eat just a plain vanilla tapioca this would be my recommended way, as truly it has such a better texture than the Minute or Instant Tapioca. This recipe is my one exception. I got it from a Lost Recipe book and had to try it. I made a small batch of it the other day because it just sounded good and luckily it keeps for a few days because Richard doesn't like coffee or tapioca - so I'm on my own with this one! I love pudding - but it is a hard thing to make look good in a picture...
Coffee Carnival serves 3
1 cup strong brewed coffee ( I used espresso, slightly watered down)
2 tablespoons Minute Tapioca
2 tablespoons sugar
pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup cream
Combine coffee, tapioca, sugar and salt in a small pot and let sit for 5 min. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat and stir in vanilla don't worry, it will thicken as it cools. In the meantime whip the cream until soft peaks form then fold into the coffee tapioca. Don't eat too much too late at night - it still has caffeine power!
Post Note: I was just asking myself - what the hell is tapioca? For the record it's a starch that they get from a cassava plant.
My Mother useed to make Tapeoca, but only on special ocassions. I know now it was because it was so hard to make. The little round nodules she called "fish eyes" which is very descriptive. When I was in the OJ business, we sometimes used starches to thicken products like bar mixes. We had to work very hard to avoid the "fish eyes". Nancy buys me tapeoca that is premade and packaged ready to eat. It does not taste anything like Mother's. Yours certainly looks very good and I wish I could have some. I am making Shrimp and Grits this weekend as mary Lynn and Darryl are coming up.
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