Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Pudding

Okay, so I got a bit excited about jars and handheld pies my last post. Individual desserts. Portable pies. Personal puddings. Endless possibilities.

Then Saturday I found some little jars and scooped them right up.

I wanted to make a banana pudding for my mom. Similar to this one that I usually make and that she loves.

I make it. She makes it and so does my sister. Its easy and creamy. And cold. We like it cold.

I thought individual puddings would be fun to bring over on Mothers Day, but I couldnt wait to use the jars so shes getting treats early.

Not all of them. Im keeping one or two. You know for investigative purposes.

The jars work great to contain and carry desserts and definitely make a dessert more special.

This time I changed the pudding up just a little adding peanut butter, cookies and chocolate.

And I started with a vanilla wafer crust.

Cru! sh cooki es. Mix with sugar and butter and press in the bottom.

The next layer was a melted mixture of chocolate and peanut butter.

And the next layer vanilla pudding combined with Cool Whip Whipped Topping.

Fold it in to the pudding to make it light and creamy.

Then layer the pudding in the jars and fill it with banana and broken peanut butter cookie pieces. Drizzle more chocolate and add more pudding.

Looks good.

And then put a lid on it.

You can add your own custom label and make it more special. These canning jars can easily secure the label under the lid.

I love that I can carry these to my moms and she can have her own but so can I. Win. Win.

So what does your mom like? Are you making her anything yummy for Mothers Day?

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Pudding

30 vanilla wafers
3 Tablespoons melted butter
2 Tablespoons sugar

8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
2 Tablespoons butter
1/3 cup peanut butter

2 3.4 oz packages vanilla pudding mix
2 cups cold milk
8 oz. container Cool Whip Whipped Topping, thawed in refrigerator

Nutter Butters, about 16 broken in small pieces
3 medium bananas
lemon juice

4 1 pint glass jars with lids

• Crush the vanilla wafers in a food processor or in a ziploc bag with a rolling pin.
• Add sugar and melted butter and stir together until crumbly.
• Press the mixture into the bottom of glass jars.
• Melt chocolate and butter in the microwave on medium. When melted, stir in the peanut butter until completely combined.
• Spoon about 2 tablespoons of melted chocolate on top of the crushed vanilla wafer base.
• To make pudding, combine pudding mixes with milk and beat with a mixer or wire whisk for two minutes.
• Slowly fold Cool Whip Whipped Topping into the pudding. Dont over mix.
• Slice bananas and dip in lemon juice to help prevent them from turning brown too soon.
• Then layer bananas, cookies and pudding into the jar. Drizzle more chocolate and layer more pudding.
• Refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

Notes: You can change this up as much as you like. Eliminate the peanut butter. Dont want chocolate? Want to try a different cookie? No problem.
You can even forget about the crushed vanilla wafer base and go all pudding. But if you do want ! the base , you can also just use peanut butter cookies in place of wafers. I probably would have done that too, if I hadnt crushed my wafers too soon. : ) You can also just layer everything in one big dish.

This post is sponsored by COOL WHIP Whipped Topping. Join them on Facebook for inspiration and recipes for everyday treats. What you add makes it. #coolwhipmoms . Sponsored posts are editorial content presented by a participating sponsor. Sponsors do not produce the content.

After sake, is shochu the next drink trend to come out of Japan?

TOKYO, May 7 Japan is planning to designate sake and shochu as national alcoholic beverages as it ramps up its campaign to have Japanese cuisine added to the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage.

After a recent visit to a sake brewer in Akita Prefecture, in northern Japan, Motohisa Furukawa, the state minister for national policy, told reporters that designating the two brews as the national drink will raise their profiles in overseas markets and increase exports.

Sake and shochu are part of the Japanese culture of taking pride in high-quality rice and water, Furukawa said. I am confident they could develop into an export industry that is capable of penetrating the global market.

Sake is fermented from rice, while shochu is more commonly produced from other crops, including barley and sweet potatoes.

At present, most producers are small family-run businesses that are not able to mass-produce their drinks and have therefore found it difficult to be recognised outside Japan.

With the increasing global popularity of Japanese cuisine, however, the government and producers see an opportunity to tell the world about drinks that are as synonymous with Japan as sushi and miso soup.

The drive to promote sake and shochu comes as the government and Japanese companies step up their efforts to have washoku traditional cuisine accepted by UNESCO.

That campaign was damaged by reports of contamination to crops in northeast Japan in the aftermath of the March 11, 2011, Great East Japan Earthquake, which crippled the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear reactor and caused leaks of radioactivity into the surrounding areas.

Japan is attempting to rebuild faith in Japanese food overseas, and in March a panel was created that brings together the government and food companies to promote the UNESCO campaign.

In April, the Metropolitan Museum of Art staged Sakura no Utage, ! meaning a feast of cherry blossoms, that served traditional dishes such as steamed fish, tossed sushi rice and a burdock dish to 90 guests.

Organisers have pointed out that Japanese ingredients everything from soy sauce to wasabi, yuzu and daishi stock are attracting a growing following among famous chefs around the world.

Marcus Wareing, chef patron of the Berkeley in Londons Knightsbridge, visited Tokyo earlier this year and said he does not believe the popularity of Japanese food around the world is a temporary craze.

I do not think it is a fad, he said. I think the world is so much more international in terms of choice today and I believe that will only increase in the future.

Wareing said he has always liked clean but robust flavours and that the secret of any good sauce is the stock, so he is a big fan of Japanese-style dashi, while the best part of his visit was the early-morning visit to Tsukiji fish wholesale market.

The ingredients were incredible, with the most amazing being the monkfish liver, which reminded me of foie gras.

According to the Japan External Trade Organisation, there were 14,129 Japanese restaurants in the United States in 2010, more than double the number of a decade earlier, while the number has risen to 1,000 restaurants in France and around 500 in Britain. AFP-Relaxnews

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Tanjong Jara Resort Dinner with Chef Florent Passard

I first met Chef Florent Passard and Chef Nicolas Le Toumelin at Shook! Starhill Gallery in January 2011. Back then, both could barely converse in English, thus making any effort for a Q & A session difficult.
Now a year plus later, I had the privilege to savour a full course dinner personally prepared by Chef Florent.

After his short stint at Shook!, Chef Florent (left in the picture above) has returned to Muse Hotel in Saint Tropez briefly before he was transfered to Tanjong Jara Resort, where now he takes charge of the resorts menu redesign while simultaneously injecting fresh perspective into the dining options here.

Barely 2 months into the job, Chef Florent has been diligently experimenting with the local seafood and produce. My dinner that night showcased some of his experimental dishes.

Below: Dinner under the stars, on the soft sand facing the South China Sea and cooled by the gentle evening breeze.

A shoot of Tomato Gazpacho and Cookie Baked with Parmesan and served with Olive tapenade commenced the evening.

It was the subsequent courses that really flaunted Chef Flore! nts expe rtise in seafood.
Our appetiser, a local tuna was cleverly crusted with a coat of sesame for a nutty flavour, effectively masking any fishy odor. This piece sit on a flim of shoju jelly, which imparts a salty essence to the piece of perfectly cooked tuna.

Squid Tart with Povencale Style Vegetables.
I admired the finely julienned strips of perfect chewy squids. Though subtle, it was a nice touch and makes for an easier chew; not to mention being asthetically pleasing as well, since the strips curled prettily.

This came sitting in a buttery, crusty tart which complemented the savoury fillings of sweet peppers and aubergines sauted with onions. The foam/cream you see below is made from reduced chicken stock with milk and perfumed with lemongrass, rosemary and thyme.

If youre starting to feel things are getting fishy here, your intuition is not far off. Chef Florent specialty is seafood, so it wasnt a surprise that the main for the evening was well, fish.

Mirror Fish and Mackerel with purple sweet potato, carrot mousse, aubergine.

I had no idea what was mirror fish and I personally detest mackerel. The dry, flaky texture of mackerel flesh somewhat puts me off.

Thanks to Chef Florent, I discover newfound appreciation for mackerel. As pictured below, both fishes were soft, flaky and moist. The natural sweet flavour was present, and amazingly, these werent even imported fish, but were caught just off the coast of Terengganu.

Great care were taken for each component on the plate, rounding up the whole dish nicely. The spread of orange is pureed carrot with milk and turmeric; sweet and smooth. A tuber lover, I wiped the mash purple potato clean off the palte. Kudos to Chef Florent for making such simple, comfort food so palatable. Most mash are guilty of being overly buttered and creamed, but this one was perfect.
The dainty portion of aubergine took many steps to prepare; starting with cutting an aubergine into 2, slow oven-baking it in foil with garlic oil and lastly scooped from its skin before presented on the plate. All details are in place; ensuring an enjoyable dish.

We rounded our meal nicely (and thankfully without any seafood, though it was be interesting to have a SWEET fish mousse for dessert) with Green Tea Tiramisu in a Ch! ocolate Cup.

It was fitting end to the meal, delicate creamy mousse green tea withcaramelizedpistachio and walnuts in honey.

As the evening progressed, a real bon fire was lit to keep us warm. My, it has been decades since I had a bonfire dinner, back in those days as a girl guide.

Tanjong Jara Resort has a total of 3 different dining venues, each offering distinctively cuisine to suit different palates and preference.
Here, the fare on offer is matched in variety only by the settings where you can savour your meal. Gazing out to sea at the Nelayan, under the shade of rustling palms at Teratai Terrace or over the meandering river at Di Atas Sungei.

My dinner was at Nelayan, helmed byChef Florent Passard, and where avariety of Asian and Western light meals are served for lunch and Western cuisine at dinner.

Nelayan assumes a romantic ambience after sunset and guests have the option of enjoying a delightful alfresco dining experience on the beach featuring bamboo torches and the gentle sound of the waves (like I did!) or stay inside the warm comforts of the restaurant.

Nelayan is also perfect for an after-dinner drink by the poolside or the sea.

Thank you Chef Florent for a fantastic meal! I never knew our local seafood could taste so good!

Tanjong Jara Resort
Batu 8, Off Jalan Dungun
23000 Dungun, Terengganu, Malaysia
GPS: N 4 48 35.10, E 103 25 23.65
Tel: +60 9 845 1100
Fax: +60 9 845 1200
Email: tjr@ytlhotels.com.my

Bersih 3.0 - Where were I?

I just could not wait to join 428 Bersih 3.0. Immediately after I finished my morningerrandsI proceeded with my plan to cycle for Bersih 3.0. So from Titiwangsa, here I come and the time was just before noon (12:00).

Exactly 12:22pm - Chow Kit Road was clear with very relaxing traffic flow.12:35pm - I passed the vehicular barrier into Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman with no question asked by the policemen in front of SOGO. What a relief and I continued to cycle towards Dataran Merdeka.12:45pm - It's already packed with people @ the tip Jalan Raja Laut.12:50pm It was fun riding on this day moving from back lanes and side lanes to witness as many happenings as possible. Over here at the tip of Jalan Raja Laut with the people of Malaysia.12:51pm - Met these friendly "braders" of Bersih.

12:59pm - Some went higher level for better view of the barbed wires. 1:11pm - Masjid Jamek - There were a number of cyclists "maneuvering" from road to road.1:15pm - Policemen with name tags doing their works.1:18pm - Met Kean Hooi & his friend.1:22pm - The crowd was like yellow water flowing down a river.1:39p! m - I ma de a detour to the back of HSBC building and at the mosque of Masjid Jamek.1:48pm - Street Party at Jalan Hang Leiku and it was so colourful & lively.1:59pm - Bumped into another friend, Joey @ Jalan Hang Leiku2:15pm The crowd still flowing towards Dataran Merdeka from Pudu Bus Station.2:34pm - Menara Maybank - Words from the organisers were uttered at this spot and the support was tremendous.

2:56pm - The singing team creating a fantastic atmosphere at Jalan Tun Perak 2:58pm - A group from Kedah gathered at Jalan Tun Perak.3:00pm The yellow colour was getting bigger and denser.3:00pm - Business was such a brisk, only standing space available.3:20pm - People were going back and were moving away from Dataran Merdeka, this was Jalan Raja Laut.

I felt dizzy with irritation in my eyes while I was cycling back from Jalan Melaka. There were other people with similar problem and there were people offering salt to relieve the suffering. What a scene with common rakyat helping one another at a time where the need was required. I washed my eyes with my drinking water and continued to pedal to Titiwangsa for my lunch. Nasi Lemak with Teh Halia what a Malaysian way of life I have. I love Malaysia.