Russian Apricot Pudding

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to Peter Maretz of San Diego, California for this prandial
puzzler:

This is a detective story so pay close attention! Three elderly
ladies are excited about seeing their first baseball game. They
smuggle a bottle of bourbon into the ballpark. The game is very
exciting and they are enjoying themselves immensely, mixing the
bourbon with soft drinks. Finally one of them passes out. Soon they
realize that the bottle is almost gone and the game has a lot of
innings to go.

Now the hard question: Based on the given information, what inning is
it and how many players are on base?

Answer: It's the bottom of the fifth, one out, and the bags are loaded.

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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This traditional Russian dessert can be made with different fruits,
and cranberries are especially popular. I happen to be partial to
apricots, so this is how I'll make mine:

Russian Apricot Pudding (Kissel)

2 cups (500 ml) water
1 cup (250 ml) chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup (60 ml) sugar
3 Tbs (45 ml) cornstarch (cornflour)
A pinch of salt
Heavy cream or sweetened whipped cream for
garnish (optional)

Bring the water and apricots to a boil in a pot over moderate heat.
Reduce the heat and simmer covered until the apricots are tender,
about 20 minutes. Puree the apricots and 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the
cooking liquid (reserve the remaining cooking liquid) in an electric
blender or food processor, or press through a fine sieve. Combine the
apricot puree, the remaining cooking liquid, and the remaining
ingredients except for the cream in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over
moderate heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute, stirring
constantly. Pour into a serving bowl or individual serving dishes.
Serve chilled, warm, or at room temperature, topped with heavy cream
or whipped cream if desired. Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Fri Feb 11 06:06:10 2005