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Desserts made from Dinner


Kerry Beal

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Anna N and I were driving home tonight from an event - discussing food as we usually do - and the discussion evolved from pancakes (and the differences between what are called pancakes in North America vs in GB where Anna grew up) to dutch babies, and how much they are like yorkshire pud - to how sometimes part of dinner becomes dessert.

 

I was telling her that my mother used to take still warm rice, a bit of butter, brown sugar or maple syrup and heavy cream - and that became dessert. I still enjoy that to this day.

 

Anna's family would take leftover yorkshire pud - sprinkle with raspberry vinegar and that would be dessert.

 

Anyone else? 

 

 

 

 

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Leftover Yorkshire pudding? Whoa .. that would have been a wonderful thing. We gobbled it all up during the dinner part. Loved that stuff. Someday maybe I will make some just to try it with raspberry vinegar - that sounds delicious.

 

We very rarely had dessert when I was a child (perhaps some jello once every blue moon or the occasional piece of fruit or cake if it was someone's birthday). I have eaten enough desserts in my adult years though to make up for that sad lack in childhood.

 

Since my father was Welsh/British, he loved rice pudding. Mom would make it for him once a year. The rest of us never even tried it. And I have to say I am glad - somehow it never appealed to me. Bread pudding likewise (which I guess one could make from the leftover dinner rolls and butter?)

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I was telling her that my mother used to take still warm rice, a bit of butter, brown sugar or maple syrup and heavy cream - and that became dessert. I still enjoy that to this day.

I still do that with extra rice. Growing up, we were a family of 7 (Almost the Brady Bunch. When my dad and stepmom got together, they each had 2 kids and then had my youngest brother together) with not a lot of money. Breakfast was almost always some form of porridge/hot cereal (we'd sometimes get pancakes or waffles on the weekend). Oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, grits and rice... all eaten pretty much as you describe but with margarine instead of butter, usually plain ol' white sugar and what we kids who didn't know any better called "cream" but was actually canned evaporated milk.  I guess it's one of those food memory things, I still enjoy it and always hope there will be extra rice from dinner.

 

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It's kinda like wrestling a gorilla... you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is tired.

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Breakfast from dinner is fairly standard in China. They don't really differentiate between meals in that way, so last night's leftover dinner is often reheated or re-purposed for breakfast. Uneaten breakfast may also turn up as part of dinner.

Turning leftover rice into a breakfast stir-fried rice for example or using it to make porridge would raise not a Chinese eyebrow.

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...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

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We have something different at our home: Dessert as Dinner.  This way, dessert is not on top of dinner, but rather only dessert for dinner.  That way you get a honking big amount of deliciousness at once.  No stinting.  Not chocolate cake or baklava of course, but a dish which includes fruit, grains and dairy like fruitpancakes or fruit shortcake or cheese blintzes. 

 

The 6-month period we lived in Utah 6 years ago, we invited our next-door neighbor/landlady/good friend to dinner every Wednesday night for Dessert as Dinner and I never repeated myself once.  It was a pleasurable challenge. 

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Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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What I was hoping for was not dinner for breakfast nor dessert for dinner but that unique combination of an item from the dinner plate showing up as dessert as part of the same meal. So when we had roast beef and Yorkshire pudding for a meal extra Yorkshire puddings were made and served as dessert at the same meal but drizzled with homemade raspberry vinegar. Kerry's mom used any extra, still warm rice that was served on the dinner plate and doctored it up as dessert.

So what part of your dinner was transformed into dessert and served after the main meal?

Edited to add

I don't want to give the wrong impression by my poor choice of word order. The rice that Kerry's mom used was not off the dinner plate but was rice that had not yet been served!

Edited by Anna N (log)

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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Anna, as I mentioned above I have little personal experience as a child with dinner as dessert (or dessert in general) but I have a question - are you just wanting to hear personal stories about a dinner item only being used at the same meal as dessert or could it be used tomorrow? or could one just talk in general about things that would be served normally for dinner that might show up in a dessert too.

 

I did use to take the applesauce that was served with pork and save it for the end of the meal and call that a dessert of sorts - a sweet to end the meal - but it was not 'transformed' in any way, nor formally served as dessert.

 

The subject is interesting - got me thinking about what one might serve for dinner that could then serve as a dessert as well and I like that (so thank you - and Kerry) - but I don't want to take this off your intended track.

 

Keep on carrying on. :smile:

Edited by Deryn (log)
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Obviously the topic will be what it will be

Well I put a :-) in here and it wiped the rest of my post! Who knew. So what I was trying to say was that we have done dessert for dinner, we've done dinner for breakfast, we've done breakfast for dinner, we've done dessert instead of dinner and so on and so forth. I was hoping we could look at this from a different point of view as dessert derived from something that had appeared only minutes before on the dinner plate. I would think that apple sauce used as you suggest would qualify.

Edited by Anna N (log)

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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One could use that applesauce (prepared to accompany maybe a pork roast) as a main ingredient in muffins or applesauce cake being cooked while dinner is being served. Or perhaps extra roasted apple slices could be added to a batter and 'frittered' up in a hurry.

 

I read about (disclosure: have never tried) a Cornish pasty with 'afters' - a meat mixture at one end and a sweet (usually apple) one at the other. Not exactly what you mean I think but an interesting concept for a work lunch/dinner all in one package. http://www.cornishpasties.org.uk/pasties-with-afters-I-trials.htm The only part that is included in both, mind you, is the pastry but I suppose one could modify even the fillings to qualify as well.

 

Another idea is crepes - savoury filling for dinner followed by a sweet filling or perhaps a crepes suzette type dessert iteration. This one I actually HAVE done .. just didn't think of it earlier.

 

Extra bacon from dinner? Add it to pumpkin and bake it in a pie. http://themeathouseblog.com/tag/meat-dessert/ Or make it quickly into 'pig candy' dipped in chocolate (or not).

 

Leftover beets - puree and throw into a chocolate pudding cake?

 

But, none of these is as simple (or even as satisfying and memory making) as Kerry's rice or your Yorkshire pud desserts on the fly. Those are genius. Kudos to your Moms!

Edited by Deryn (log)
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I'm not sure if I worded it well or not but that is what I meant... I like for there to be extra rice from dinner that I turn into my dessert. The dessert just happens to be a carbon copy of what I frequently ate for breakfast as a kid, which may explain why I like it so much, but I am talking about transforming part of dinner into my dessert.

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It's kinda like wrestling a gorilla... you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is tired.

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I'm not sure if I worded it well or not but that is what I meant... I like for there to be extra rice from dinner that I turn into my dessert. The dessert just happens to be a carbon copy of what I frequently ate for breakfast as a kid, which may explain why I like it so much, but I am talking about transforming part of dinner into my dessert.

Absolutely works!

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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Don't know if a cheese plate qualifies....  Technically speaking, we'd have it as the hors d'oeurves before the dinner, and then whip it out again for dessert.

 

I haven't done this, but biscuits for during dinner, then turn it into strawberry shortcakes for dessert.

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Love the quicky rice pudding out of leftover white rice thing.  Loved it as a kid.  Love it still.  Intentionally make more rice than needed.  Sometimes add raisins or nuts or currents or berries and into the microwave.

 

Also quicky bread pudding - here's an actual recipe for what we did, and what I still do with leftover dinner rolls:  http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/microwave-bread-pudding-recipe

 

And biscuits into strawberry, blueberry, etc., shortbread.

 

Not sure if peach sangria counts, but I make it to have with dinner.

 

And then fish out the marinated peach slices to add to pound cake and ice cream.

 

ETA: Oh, and not dessert from dinner, but dessert from leftover scrambled eggs at breakfast...

 

My dad saved the leftover scrambled eggs from breakfast (and I'm sure he intentionally made more than he knew we'd eat) and, at dessert time, sprinkled generously with some turbinado or other raw sugar, then flamed the whole thing with brandy or Calvados or rum or something.   Said it was just like a dessert he loved at a French restaurant in Saigon back in the 50's.  Although that was made tableside with an omelet cooked especially for that purpose. 

 

And not with leftover scrambled eggs.

 

Mais oui.

 

:cool:

Edited by Jaymes (log)
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I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

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Jaymes

Links like yours to the bread pudding are exactly why I was hoping this thread would move in a new direction and not rehash old ideas. Thank you. I think it's brilliant.

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Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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We never had an exact recipe - just beat an egg with vanilla, milk/cream, and sugar and into the microwave. I was pleased to find that one with specific proportions and instructions.

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

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following as I have been eating my left over rice with milk and sugar since reading on here a couple of years ago. Can't think of any new examples though I like to eat the last of the yorkshire puds with greek yoghurt and golden syrup (will have to give the vinegar a go next time), and on pancake day I like to do a couple of savoury ones before we gorge on the sweet.

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Not sure if this is a German or broader European thing, but both cake and pancakes can be made from mashed potato.  My mother often used to make a "kartoffelkuchen" - or potato cake - topped with streusel.  It would be made with leftover mashed potato.  I don't think she ever boiled potatoes specifically to make the cake, but it was one of those things that was part of my childhood.  When I was old enough I would make the streusel.

 

And I also have a recipe for pancakes made from mashed potato, which I got from a French chef, but they are incredibly light and delicate.  I love them.

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Potato pancakes or potato scones are certainly a popular (if not essential) part of a traditional Irish (or Scottish) breakfast.

 

Not sure about potato dessert, though it seems feasible..

Although I've never done it, know that sweet bean paste is popular in Chinese desserts. Wonder if you could get up from the table, grab the serving bowl of beans, head for the kitchen and turn out something sweet and tasty.

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

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Not sure about potato dessert, though it seems feasible..

Southerners love sweet potato pie. Not much of a stretch to think you could add some sugar or other sweeteners and a little pumpkin pie spice and then into some sort of pre-cooked pastry.

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

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I've been to dinners where a specific ingredient was highlighted in the appetizer, entree and dessert. One I particularly remember was peaches -- sliced peaches with balsamic reduction, gorgonzola and proscuitto as an appetizer, a peach sauce (complete with a grilled peach half) with pork loin, and an astonishing peach-topped cheesecake for dessert. Similar menus I've seen and sometimes tried in restaurants include tomatoes, and avocado. 

 

Rice is probably one of the most versatile things to do double duty, I think. I often make extra rice when I'm cooking it for dinner so I can make calas, the delightful little New Orleans rice fritter, for dessert. Recipe here. Japanese mochi makes appearances in both savory and sweet versions.

 

Of course, when sweet corn is in season, I have been known to go back and get a second helping of THAT and call it dessert, too.

Edited by kayb (log)
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Don't ask. Eat it.

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