bread pudding saves the day

So fairb is out of town this week, which as you know means "pork and poultry week" I also like to experiment with food when he is away, for he is kind of a picky eater. So today I decided to have a hand at fried chicken. I have tried fried chicken before, and I remembered it tasted good, but was too browned. Well the exact same thing happened again today, tasted good, but too browned. So my question is, how the heck do you cook fried chicken without getting it to brown while still being done in the middle? I was religiously maintaining the oils temp with a digital thermometer, and I took the chicken out the instant the middle of the chicken pieces reached 180 degrees, but it was still too brown. I guess KFC uses a pressure fryer. My mom used to boil the chicken first, but that doesn't sound right. I followed Alton Brown's recipe after watching his show on fried chicken. Anyway, I don't like it when things turn out bad. My mother made a good point though, why fry chicken when you can bake it so good? Its not greasy and it has the same feel as fried chicken. So I don't know if I will fry chicken again, I'll just buy some if I am feeling like fried chicken. Unless someone can show me the light, can you?

Luckily, I was also trying bread pudding because I wanted to serve it at a dinner party that I am having for the primary workers this weekend.  It turned out muy deliciouso! I always held the belief that bread pudding was disgusting because it was soggy bread, it had raisins in it, and my mother loved it (my mother likes everything gross) Well one day I tried some my mother had made and loved it.  So hear is what I did:

Ingredient list:

loaf of White bread denser the better

butter

sugar

cinnamon

4 c whole milk

4 eggs

2 t vanilla

pecans

sauce:

1 stick butter

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 c sugar

dash of ground nutmeg and clove

2-3 T rum (optional for you, but not for me!)

1 t vanilla

1 t baking soda

First mix together milk, eggs and vanilla, lightly beat. Butter all the bread just like you would if you were making toast. Lay the first layer of butter bread, butter side down in the casserole dish. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon (like you were making cinnamon toast) You don't have to mix the cinnamon with the sugar, just go heavy on the sugar and light on the cinnamon.  Sprinkle with crumbled pecans. Pour a cup of  the milk egg mixture.  Do the same thing 4 more layers thick. Bake in the oven till it is set, when you put a knife in you get no runnies. 350 for about 45 minutes. Cover for half way, uncover for halfway.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce.  Combine butter, buttermilk and sugar. Once that has begun to boil add vanilla, spices and rum.  Continue to boil briefly then add baking soda. When  bread pudding in finished, poke holes in it with a knife and pour the sauce over it. Serve bread pudding with fresh sweetened whip cream.

 Note: you can also serve up the bread pudding, then pour the rum sauce over it, then top with cream, it kind of looks pretty that way.