Jun 26, 2014 6 min read

If you read my columns and listen to my radio show regularly, you’ve probably noticed that a recurring theme is nostalgic foods. It’s no surprise that, whether planned or not, when nostalgic foods become a topic we field more calls and interact with more listeners/readers than with any other topic.

The more you think about this phenomenon, the more sense it makes. The unique thing about nostalgic foods is that you don’t have to wish because you can experience most of them again. Yes, the feeling may be different and you may not be able to duplicate the exact set of circumstances from the past, but you can get closer to time travel through food than with any other medium I’ve ever seen.

Another topic routinely mentioned on my show and in my columns are daily food holidays. Everyday of the year is dedicated to a certain food and everyday is truly a holiday if you pay attention and have the fortitude to celebrate day in and day out.

Some foods are worth celebrating more than others, but I continuously keep a pulse on the daily food holidays so when one worth celebrating pops up, I’m ready for it. Today is one of those days. Not only is today’s food holiday one of my favorite foods, but it is also a very nostalgic food for me and I’m guessing it probably is for most of you as well.

It is a food that I’ve loved since I was a very young child and to this day still love so much, that when I cooked in a professional kitchen setting I would request that it be made special for me as my gift in lieu of cake.

It is a very big deal to me and I decided that this particular food (I can say dessert now) deserves it’s own dedicated column to celebrate it’s special food holiday. So ladies and gentlemen, without further ado I would like to wish all of you a very happy –

National Chocolate Pudding Day!

Chocolate pudding is one of my favorite desserts, if it’s not number one, it’s at least in my top three favorites. It takes me back to my childhood. I remember when my mother would make the cooked variety on the stove and I would have to wait for what seemed like years for it to chill in the refrigerator before I could dive in.

I also remember later on in life taking the little plastic cups of pudding with foil lids to school with me in my lunch. Even later, when I stopped packing a lunch and ate the lunch provided by the school, I remember enjoying the pudding that came from the large number 10 cans that we weren’t supposed to see.

Pudding from a can isn’t exactly what I prefer; however, I do prefer canned pudding to no pudding. Pudding is not difficult to make and once you taste real homemade pudding (not the stuff from the box), you’ll never want to go back.

There are two main types of pudding. The first is a boiled and chilled version. This version is texturally a custard which is set with starch. This is the type of pudding that is most common in the United States and Canada.

The second type of pudding is a steamed/baked pudding. This version is texturally similar to cake and is common in the United Kingdom and Ireland. When figgy pudding is referred to in the popular Christmas Carol, this is the type of pudding the song is about.

Since the boiled version is the common version around these parts, and since it is the one that I love so much, we are going to focus on that version.

It is true that you can enjoy chocolate pudding warm fresh off of the stove. I’ve even tried it that way a few times. Not because I wanted to try it warm, but because patience isn’t really my thing when it comes to chocolate pudding.

After careful analysis and sampling, I can honestly say without a doubt that I prefer my pudding chilled. If you prefer it warm than more power to you and I am secretly jealous because you don’t have to wait the extra couple of hours for it to chill.

One of my favorite chocolate pudding recipes is the Hershey’s edition. Let’s face it, not many people know chocolate and all of the delicious things that can be done with it as well as Milton Hershey.

I prefer their recipe because I really like the addition of butter. Most pudding recipes don’t include finishing it with butter and there’s just something magical about chocolate and butter together.

Another reason I like the recipe is because it is traditional in the sense that it is thickened with a starch (cornstarch) and doesn’t include egg yolks like some chocolate pudding recipes you’ll come across. I don’t have anything against eggs; I just feel that traditional chocolate pudding should be thickened with starch alone.

Here’s the recipe which makes 4 to 5 servings:

·Stir together 2/3 cup sugar, ¼ cup cocoa, 3 tablespoons cornstarch and ¼ teaspoon salt in medium saucepan; gradually stir in 2 ¼ cups milk.

·Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils; boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in 2 tablespoons butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Pour into individual dessert dishes. To avoid a skin from forming on top, press plastic wrap directly onto surface; serve warm or refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Try the Hershey’s Chocolate Pudding recipe and Just Cook It to celebrate National Chocolate Pudding Day!

Mario J. Porreca of Belle Vernon is a food personality, author, and the host of Just Cook It on WMBS Radio 590 AM. He can be reached via his website at: www.JustCookIt.net. Twitter: @MarioPorreca