Watching a video of Jacques Pépin, found through The Amateur Gourmet, I was fascinated by his allure and his elegance… His recipe for Hasty Pudding reminded me my old love for budino (the Italian equivalent of pudding). Budino is the simplest dessert of all, if made with the powder selled in supermarkets, and it’s even the most disgusting one, but as a toddler it was a much appreciated dessert or afternoon break!
When I was little there was a designated budino day during the week at the canteen where my father was working, and he was always able to sneak a little plastic glass with a chocolate or a vanilla budino for me! Glorious days!
During the years the range of budino available in supermarket widened to the ultimate possible peak: Lindt chocolate budino, the Everest of budino! Just heaven!
But of course, becoming older is not only a meaning of ageing, but of acquiring wisdom too (well for most people, I do not know how much for my little self…), so I began experimentation on the matter of budino. Many years back in my teens, I was still using the industrial powders but I was adding some liquors or a stratification of cookies…
The recipe by Pépin just reminded me the simplest way of all to make a budino and the perfect way to get rid of semolina before the summer (old semolina=worms, butterflies etc. …).

1 lt of goat milk (the last one!!!)
160 g of semolina flour
130 g of sugar
3 tablespoons of yoghurt

Bring to the boil the milk with 2 tablespoons of sugar (that you took away from the overall amount).
Add semolina flour and give a good whisk. Cover the pan and let it cook for 2-3 minutes, on a very low heat, until it thicken.
Give it a good whisk, add sugar and yoghurt, give it another whisk, then spoon it in the mould/s you prefer.

Note: if you really want to spoil the perfect simplicity of this pudding, add any flavour, spice, nut or raisinof your choice. But only if you really feel the urge to spoil something… 😉