I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to do a food blog. I guess because I’m not a chef and my previous career was all about wireless telecommunications and nothing about food. But after cooking thousands of breakfasts a year for guests I know when a plate comes back clean time after time, it’s popular.

So after promising to many guests that I would start to share some of my recipes I decided today would be the day for my first food blog! So here it is, my very first food blog. And it’s about Grape Nut Pudding. Never heard of it? Neither had I.

A few months ago some dear friends (Michael and Steve) were visiting from Dallas and we went to Moody’s Diner. One of the menu items was Grape Nut Pudding and none of us were familiar with such a dish. The waitress was kind enough to bring us a sample to try. It was good and we all liked it but I kept thinking it could be a great first course. But it needed a few tweaks.

Here’s the story on how Grape Nut Pudding came to be:

America went mad for breakfast cereals in the late 1800s, when the Kellogg brothers founded the Battle Creek Sanitarium and Sanitas Food Company, advocating a diet rich in whole grains. Rival cereal maker C. W. Post, a former patient at Battle Creek, created Grape-Nuts in 1897. This is a regional New England dish still popular in local diners and truck stops.

Here’s the recipe on the Farmer’s Almanac page that I used. Here’s what I do differently:

• I use Almond milk instead of regular milk
• I bake it for 55 minutes
• I usually make it the day before, cover with foil and then reheat it in the oven for about 20 – 25 minutes at 300 degrees.
• To serve, I add sliced bananas, fresh raspberries, granola, and drizzled Maine honey on top.
• I easily get 12 servings, remember this is the first course, out of one pan. You can add any fresh fruit, whipped cream, etc. you wish. I like using granola as it gives it some crunch and texture.

It’s very healthy, dairy-free, and something most people have never had. I hope you try it and if you have any questions feel free to send me an email. Better yet, come for a visit and I’ll make some for you.

Gary
Elms of Camden