Buona Lisa Pizza

It’s so easy to fall victim to hyperbole when blogging about food, so I want to be careful to say this accurately:  I think this may have been the best pizza I’ve ever made.

Ever.

There, I think that says it about right.  It was the best, and that from a guy who has made some pretty darned good pizza along the way.  If I do say so myself. 

I wasn’t sure when I first saw the recipe.  I mean, I like everything on it.  Maybe it was the mood I was in, or the way the day had gone.  Or something.  Whatever, when we took the first bite we were blown away by the flavor of roasted garlic.  In the second bite the hot pulp of the cherry tomatoes literally exploded in the mouth.  On the next we found the smoky sweetness of the yellow peppers that I had roasted on the grill earlier that day.  And then, a personal favorite, toasted pine nuts.  Throughout, the creamy goat cheese provided an incredible backdrop.  And then it all began again, bite after bite, flavor after flavor.  Sublime.

We paired this pizza with a Tuscan Sangiovese from Antinori, and the combination was intense and wonderful.  We knew it would be, and we weren’t disappointed.  There are days when you get it right, and this meal was right.

We found the recipe in the October 2009 issue of Food Network Magazine, and it originates from a restaurant in Long Beach, CA called Buono’s.  I’ve never been there,  but if this is a staple, I’m happy to recommend it to you.  If anyone is lucky enough to go there, please stop back and leave a comment.  I’d love to hear all about it.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup thin strips roasted yellow or red peppers
• 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup sliced fresh basil
• 3 cloves garlic; 1 minced, 2 sliced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound pizza dough, thawed if frozen
• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• Cornmeal, for dusting
• 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 3 ounces provolone cheese, shredded (about 3/4 cup)
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Preparation:

Place a pizza stone or an inverted rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat to 500 degrees.

Toss the roasted peppers, tomatoes, basil and minced garlic with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a bowl; season with salt and pepper. Cook the sliced garlic in the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat until golden, about 1 minute. Cool slightly.

Stretch or roll out the pizza dough into a 12-to-14-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Generously dust a pizza peel or another inverted baking sheet with cornmeal and place the dough on top. Drizzle with a little of the garlic oil and season with salt. Top with the mozzarella, provolone and tomato-pepper mixture, then sprinkle with the pine nuts and sliced garlic.

Slip the pizza onto the preheated pizza stone or baking sheet and cook until the crust is golden and crisp and the cheese is melted, 10 to 15 minutes. Top with goat cheese before slicing.

 

Snoqualmie Naked Merlot 2006

Wine:  Snoqualmie Naked Merlot 2006

Price: $13.99

Region: Columbia Valley, Washington State

Grape Variety: Merlot

Purchased: Surdyk’s Wine & Liquor, Minneapolis, MN

I think it may have been the “Naked” in the label that made me look at this wine, but it turns out that had more to do with it containing organic grapes than the clothing choice of the winegrowing team. No matter, it’s a very good wine, regardless the origin of the grapes.  This particular wine had a dark red appearance, and when swirled in the glass it had pronounced legs.  I’m not sure if that tells us much, but it was a favorite test of our friend Tom Lorentz, so I just have to do it for fun every time.  The nose  was bright, with the aroma of dark cherries.  When we tasted the wine, I was quite surprised to suddenly have a hit of leather with my stone fruit.  I just didn’t expect that at all, and it shocked me at first.  The mouthfeel was dry, with medium tannins, and I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy it.  My opinion changed markedly, though, when I sampled another taste after the first bite of our meal.  Cath fixed a delicious pork tenderloin with pomegranate-cherry sauce, and the wine just seemed to open up when the two were combined.  At that point the tannins softened markedly, and the fruit flavor really came forward.  The finish was relatively warm, and while it wasn’t lengthy by any means the overall feel was quite good.  I don’t know if I could recommend this wine for sipping alone, but when combined with the meal I thought it was quite nice.  In all, I’d classify it a winner.

Like much of the wine we drink, we found this wine at the 2009 fall wine sale at Surdyks in Minneapolis, at a very reasonable cost.

Pecorino with Lamb and Leek Pizza

Don’t tell the kids, but it appears I have a thing for lamb.  Every now and then I have a craving for the delicously rich flavor of lamb, and this pizza from Food & Wine magazine certainly satisfied my need.  Thankfully, ground lamb is becoming readily available at better grocery stores!

I did have a little adventure in shopping for my ingredients.  I shopped our local Byerly’s Market, where they have an incredible selection of cheeses from all over the world.  So much so that I spent a good amount of time hunched over a cooler trying to find the truffled pecorino as listed in the ingredients.  Finally, the cheese specialist came over to ask if I had any questions.  I stifled the urge to ask when the grocery stores started having cheese specialists, and instead inquired about pecorino.  She told me that she’d never had anyone ask for plain pecorino, as it was usually Pecorino Romano.  I agreed, and considered substituting something else as, in my experience, the Pecorino Romano was usually pretty sharp and salty.  I didn’t think I wanted that for a pizza.  She pointed me instead to a brand called Cubeddu, imported from Italy by a company in Denmark, Wisconsin.  She explained that it was a creamier, less salty Pecorino Romano, and so I decided to give it a try.  Wow!  This is fantastic, and I urge you to bring some home if you happen to find it in your market.  It was a great complement to the earthy flavor of the lamb and sauteed leeks, and I highly recommend it.

The recipe calls for a Pinot Noir to enjoy with this pizza, and I think that would be an excellent choice as well.  We’ve always enjoyed Pinot Noir with deep, rich flavors such as lamb and mushrooms, and here it would be great.  We didn’t happen to have one on hand (the cellar is getting low!), so instead we enjoyed a bottle of Yellow Tail Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvignon, and that was pretty darned good as well.

This is just a wonderful gathering of flavors, and we enjoyed it greatly.  You may want to do the same.

(Lesson for the day:  Pecorino is from the Italian word “Pecora”, meaning sheep.  Now you know!) 

Ingredients:

• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• 1 1/2 pounds pizza dough, cut into 8 pieces
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 2 large leeks, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 pound ground lamb
• 32 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 pound truffled pecorino cheese, thinly sliced

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 500°. Heat a pizza stone on the bottom of the oven for 45 minutes. (Alternatively, heat a large inverted baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven for 5 minutes.)

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each piece of dough to a 7-inch round. Oil 3 large baking sheets and place the dough rounds on the sheets. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Add the leeks, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 8 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet. Add the lamb, season with salt and pepper and cook until no pink remains, about 5 minutes.

Generously flour a pizza peel. Place a dough round on the peel and brush with olive oil. Top with some of the leeks, lamb, tomatoes and pecorino cheese. Slide the dough round onto the hot stone or baking sheet and bake for about 4 minutes, until bubbling and crisp. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and serve.

Pork Stew with Butternut Squash

 

 This was the perfect meal for a cool autumn afternoon.  We awoke to a light dusting of snow on the ground (October 10th!), and I spent a good part of the early afternoon splitting and stacking firewood.  Afterward, I could smell this wonderful stew, well, stewing.  On a day like this comfort food is the rule, and this recipe certainly filled the bill.  Butternut squash is a staple in our house, and as you might imagine the flavor melded perfectly with sage and pork loin, red peppers and tomatoes.  An interesting addition was the grated orange peel, whose citrus notes really gave a contrasting spark of flavor.

Ingredients:

• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 1 1/2  pounds  boneless pork loin, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1  cup  finely chopped onion
• 1  cup  finely chopped red bell pepper
• 3/4  cup  finely chopped celery
• 2  teaspoons  dried rubbed sage
• 1  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1  (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1  (14.5-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 4  cups  (1/2-inch) cubed peeled fresh butternut squash
• 1  (10-ounce) package frozen whole-kernel corn
• 2  teaspoons  grated orange rind
• 4 1/2  cups  cooked egg noodles (about 3 cups uncooked)
• 6  tablespoons  chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation:

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Add pork; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery; cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in sage, salt, black pepper, tomatoes, and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in butternut squash and corn; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until pumpkin is tender. Stir in grated rind. Serve over noodles; sprinkle with parsley.

Chicken, Red Grape and Pesto Pizza

Grapes and pesto on a pizza?  We’ve enjoyed some interesting flavors on our pizzas over the years, but I’m not sure that red grapes and pesto were ever among the choices.  Maybe that’s why we thought we had to give this recipe a try when we found it in the September 2009 issue of Cooking Light Magazine.  I’m very happy we did.

This pizza was an excellent example of how the flavors of certain foods mellow and change as they are roasted in a 475 degree oven.  As we assembled the ingredients, the scent of the thinly sliced oregano and the roasted chicken were nearly overwhelming, and we wondered how this was going to play out in the finished product.  Not to worry!  After only twelve minutes in the hot stove, the garlic was mellow and earthy and delicious.  The grapes took on an incredible savoriness, and their flavor married incredibly with the now warmed pesto.

One note, the recipe calls for refrigerated thin-crust pizza dough, but anyone who knows me knows that I always make my own pizza crusts.  In this case I used the “Olive Oil Dough” recipe from “Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day“, by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois.  I use 1/4 of the dough from a batch of their standard recipe, and then bake the pizza for 12 minutes at 475 degrees on a baking stone.  The flavor is incredible, and it’s well worth the extra effort.

This was a fantastic pizza, perhaps one of my new favorites.  I didn’t actually try the wine suggestion from the magazine, but I have to think that a crisp sauvignon blanc would be a wonderful complement.  I recommend you give this pizza a try when you’re feeling just a little adventurous.  I’m sure you’ll be surprised and pleased!

Ingredients:

• 1 (11-ounce) can refrigerated thin-crust pizza dough
• Cooking spray
• 1/3 cup refrigerated pesto
• 1 1/2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
• 8 ounces shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. On a lightly floured surface, pat dough into a 12-inch circle; gently place dough on a pizza pan coated with cooking spray. Spread pesto evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around edges. Arrange grapes evenly over dough; top evenly with chicken. Top with garlic and mozzarella; sprinkle with Romano and pepper. Bake at 425° for 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Sprinkle with onions. Cut into 12 wedges.

Barbecue Chicken with Mustard Glaze

Mmmm, talk about the savory tastes of summer!  I arrived home from work to a house scented with pungent mustard and chipotle chili powder.  I was famished after a day away, and this was nearly enough to put me over the edge!  We’ve long been fans of the rich flavor of grilled chicken thighs, but the seasonings of this rub combined with the tangy sauce made for a little bit of heaven on a summer evening.

For our tastes, we like to substitute chipotle chili powder whenever a recipe calls for regular chili powder, using 1/2 of the listed amount.  In this case we used 1 teaspoon of the chipotle version, and the added flavor kick was fantastic.  We also opted to grill the chicken thighs on our gas grill, rather than using the grill pan listed here. 

As a side  dish we prepared the summer squash described with the recipe, and our girls oohed and ahhed all the way through dinner.  This recipe, which we found in the July 2009 issue of Cooking Light magazine, went straight to our “keepers” file!  You might want to give it a try.

“A five-ingredient rub and a three-ingredient basting sauce are all you need to take chicken from routine to off-the-charts good. An assortment of spices mixed with common condiments makes a thick, tangy-sweet glaze with a hint of smokiness. Grilled summer squash makes a light, fresh side.”

Ingredients:

• 2  tablespoons  dark brown sugar
• 2  teaspoons  garlic powder
• 2  teaspoons  chili powder
• 1  teaspoon  smoked paprika
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  cup  ketchup
• 1  tablespoon  dark brown sugar
• 1  tablespoon  sherry or red wine vinegar
• 1  tablespoon  Dijon mustard
• 8  (6-ounce) skinless, bone-in chicken thighs
• Cooking spray

Preparation:

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Combine ketchup and next 3 ingredients (through mustard) in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.

2. Heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Rub spice mixture evenly over chicken thighs. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 12 minutes. Turn chicken over. Brush with half of ketchup mixture; cook 12 minutes. Turn chicken over. Brush with remaining ketchup mixture; cook 2 minutes or until a thermometer registers 165°.

Grilled summer squash: Cut 2 zucchini and 1 yellow squash lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Brush with 2 teaspoons olive oil; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Grill 3 minutes on each side or until tender.

White Pizza with Arugula

We lean toward pizza in our lists of favorite foods, but because of the incredible variety of possible flavors I really don’t mind.  This recipe, from Ina Garten of the Food Network, is a case in point.  The photos were terrific, but I don’t think they adequately prepared us for the different levels of flavor we experienced. 

This wasn’t, of course, the powerful blast of flavor we expect from a more Italian pizza.  In this case, it was layers of summery treats like lemon and fontina, along with the sharp bite of a bitter arugula.  The goat cheese provided a rich mouthfeel, which was contrasted expertly by the garlic and red pepper flakes.  We enjoyed this as a knife and fork pizza, and we were only sorry when it was finally ended.  I’m a Food Network fan, and The Barefoot Contessa is probably my favorite chef.  A meal like this will tell you why.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

For the dough:

• 1 1/4 cups warm (100 to 110) water
• 2 packages dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Good olive oil
• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
• Kosher salt
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

For the topping:

• 3 cups grated Italian fontina cheese (8 ounces)
• 1 1/2 cups grated fresh mozzarella cheese (7 ounces)
• 11 ounces creamy goat cheese, such as montrachet, crumbled

For the vinaigrette:

• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces baby arugula
• 1 lemon, sliced

Preparation:

Mix the dough.

Combine the water, yeast, honey and 3 tablespoons of olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. When the yeast is dissolved, add 3 cups of flour, then 2 teaspoons salt, and mix on medium-low speed. While mixing, add up to 1 more cup of flour, or just enough to make a soft dough. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until smooth, sprinkling it with the flour as necessary to keep it from sticking to the bowl.

Knead by hand.

When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured board and knead it by hand a dozen times. It should be smooth and elastic.

Let it rise.

Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and turn it to cover it lightly with oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Make garlic oil.

Place 1/2 cup of olive oil, the garlic, thyme and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook for 10 minutes, making sure the garlic doesn’t burn. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. (Be sure your oven is clean!)

Portion the dough.

Dump the dough onto a board and divide it into 6 equal pieces. Place the doughs on sheet pans lined with parchment paper and cover them with a damp towel. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

Stretch the dough.

Press and stretch each ball into an 8-inch circle and place 2 circles on each sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (If you’ve chilled the dough, take it out of the refrigerator approximately 30 minutes ahead to let it come to room temperature.)

Top the dough.

Brush the pizzas with the garlic oil, and sprinkle each one liberally with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the pizzas evenly with fontina, mozzarella and goat cheese. Drizzle each pizza with 1 tablespoon more of the garlic oil and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the crusts are crisp and the cheeses begin to brown.

Make the vinaigrette.

Meanwhile, whisk together 1/2 cup of olive oil, the lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Add the greens.

When the pizzas are done, place the arugula in a large bowl and toss with just enough lemon vinaigrette to moisten. Place a large bunch of arugula on each pizza and a slice of lemon and serve immediately.

Grilled Pork with Arugula and Grape Salad

You’ve gotta try this when you want to serve a play on the traditional ham dinner.  Admittedly it’s not ham at all, but pork chops were close enough for us, and the results were fantastic!

Our family was on its own for Easter this year, as various outside events caused our usual larger family gathering to be cancelled.  No problem, but we still needed to do something a little special to commemorate the day.  We didn’t have any great urge to do the traditional ham, but I spied this alternative in the Nov/Dec issue of Food Network Magazine.  Wow!  The pork chops themselves were juicy as could be, and the bed of arugula, vinaigrette, gorgonzola and red grapes provided a contrasting taste counterpoint that was a huge hit with the entire family.  We paired it with a loaf of homemade peasant bread and a bottle of syrah, and it made for a wonderful meal.  We’ve agreed, it receives four stars!

Ingredients:

• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 5-ounce boneless pork chops
• 3/4 cup red seedless grapes, halved
• 4 heaping cups baby arugula
• 1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola

Preparation:

1.  Combine the shallot, vinegar, 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper in a medium bowl.  Gradually whisk in the oil, starting with a few drops and adding the rest in a steady stream.

2.  Place the pork chops in a shallow dish and season all over with salt.  Add the remaining 1 tsp thyme and 3 tbsp of the dressing.  Coat the pork and set aside to marinate for five minutes.

3.  Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat.  Grill the pork until cooked through but still moist, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

4.  Add the grapes and arugula to the remaining dressing and toss to coat.  Transfer the pork chops to a serving platter or individual plates; top with the salad and sprinkle with the gorgonzola.

Grilled Corned Beef and Fontina Sandwich

Talk about your savory dishes!  This is our favorite variation on the classic Reuben sandwich, and it was brought to us by our friends at Bon Appetit Magazine.  We’ve enjoyed this amazingly tasty sandwich for St. Patrick’s Day several years in a row, and it is holding on as one of our favorites.  We’ve tried packaged corned beef, but this year Cath stopped at the deli counter and had them shave it very thin.  We piled it high and topped with the fontina cheese, which became a soft, gooey delight.  The layer of onions on this creation adds a delicious snap, and the dijon mustard is a welcome change from the usual russian or thousand island dressing with which we grew up.  The ultimate compliment for this meal was provided by our Irish daughters, Megan and Kelly, who both raved at the amazing flavor.  As I said good night to them they even recounted to me the textures and flavors they enjoyed so much.  It was that good!

Ingredients:

• 8 slices Jewish-style rye bread
• Dijon mustard
• 1 pound thinly sliced corned beef
• 8 ounces thinly sliced Fontina cheese
• 1/2 sweet onion (such as Maui or Vidalia), thinly sliced
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, divided

Preparation:

Place 4 bread slices on work surface. Spread mustard on 1 side of each. Divide corned beef among bread slices. Top with cheese and onion. Cover with remaining 4 bread slices, pressing slightly to adhere.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in each of 2 large nonstick skillets over medium heat. Place 2 sandwiches in each skillet and cook until golden brown on bottom, pressing occasionally with spatula, about 3 minutes. Turn sandwiches over and cook until golden on bottom and cheese melts, about 3 minutes. Transfer sandwiches to plates, cut in half, and serve.

Irish Bread Pudding with Caramel Whiskey Sauce

Do you stay true to your holiday traditions?  In our house, our St. Patrick’s Day tradition is Irish Bread Pudding with Whiskey Caramel Sauce.  We might play with the menu somewhat, a new variation on a corned beef reuben, perhaps an alternative like salmon.  But never the dessert.  For years now, I’m thinking seven, we’ve made this recipe to celebrate St. Pat’s.  We may have even made it one time on another occasion, but after that we decided that if it were to be special we could only do it on a special day.  And thus, our tradition was born.

Another tradition was that I’d need to attempt to make the sauce at least twice before I’d get it to work.  The recipe is fairly straightforward , as you’ll see below.  And yet, every year I’d make one wrong step and end up with a pan of solid, crystallized sugar.  And part of my tradition was to get red in the face and loudly utter a string of words to embarrass any Irishman within earshot.  But for whatever reason, this year I got it right.  I took it slow, and I was relaxed, and in a single try I made the best batch of sauce that I ever have.  It was a delight, and everyone in the house raved at how wonderful it was.  St. Pat’s only comes once a year, and with it comes this fantastic bread pudding.  Give it a try!

Ingredients:

Bread Pudding

• 1/4  cup  light butter, melted
• 1  (10-ounce) French bread baguette, cut into 1-inch-thick slices
• 1/2  cup  raisins
• 1/4  cup  Irish whiskey (Note: Substitute 1/4 cup apple juice for the Irish whiskey, if desired.)
• 1 3/4  cups  1% low-fat milk
• 1  cup  sugar
• 1  tablespoon  vanilla extract
• 1  (12-ounce) can evaporated skim milk
• 2  large eggs, lightly beaten
• Cooking spray
• 1  tablespoon  sugar
• 1  teaspoon  ground cinnamon

Caramel Whiskey Sauce

• 1 1/2  cups  sugar
• 2/3  cup  water
• 1/4  cup  light butter
• 2  ounces  1/3-less-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel) (about 1/4 cup)
• 1/4  cup  Irish whiskey (Note: Substitute 1 tablespoon imitation rum extract and 3 tablespoons water for the Irish whiskey, if desired.)
• 1/4  cup  1% low-fat milk

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Brush melted butter on one side of French bread slices, and place bread, buttered sides up, on a baking sheet. Bake bread at 350° for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Cut bread into 1/2-inch cubes, and set aside.

Combine raisins and whiskey in a small bowl; cover and let stand 10 minutes or until soft (do not drain).

Combine 1% milk and next 4 ingredients (1% milk through eggs) in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add bread cubes and raisin mixture, pressing gently to moisten; let stand 15 minutes. Spoon bread mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine 1 tablespoon sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over pudding. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until set.

For sauce, combine sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Cook an additional 15 minutes or until golden (do not stir). Remove from heat. Carefully add butter and cream cheese, stirring constantly with a whisk (mixture will be hot and bubble vigorously). Cool slightly, and stir in whiskey and milk.

 Serve bread pudding warm with Caramel-Whiskey Sauce.