Let there be light! And breakfast!

I went to the opera again last night to see Donizetti's Don Pasquale, and this time, sat in my regular subscription seat, which is the very first seat in the very first box in the Dress Circle.  As you can see in the video clip below, I am perched right over the orchestra, which suits me fine, as I love to watch the instrumentalists while they play.

Another advantage of this seat is that I get a great view of one of the spectacular Swarovski crystal chandeliers as it rises up past my seat on its way to the ceiling when it is time for the show to start.  That's what I captured in the little video clip; I hope it brings you joy to see one of the little things that bring me joy.



Another source of joy in this production was the virile singing and stage presence of Barihunk Mariusz Kwiecien, who was performing the role of Dr. Malatesta.  This pic is not from the production I saw, but I think it clearly shows why I appreciate the, er, vocalism of this artist:

Still a little lightheaded from visions of Maestro Kwiecien when I woke up this morning, I decided that a special breakfast was called for.  My usual fruit and yogurt would have seemed bland in comparison to Donizetti's bubbling score and the quite lovely singing contributed by the entire cast.  Even the baked banana dish I've blogged about before wouldn't have been special enough, so I concocted a variation on it, which I'll call "Breakfast Bread Pudding."

You have to try this.  (It's no more decadent than making breakfast out of a muffin, which is really just cake in a different shape.  OK, that's pretty decadent.)  It's almost exactly like the baked bananas, but with one extra ingredient.

For one serving, layer the following items in an ovenproof bowl, in the order shown.  (I use a Pyrex measuring cup.  Well, this time I used my 2-Cup measure, because, after all, I was being decadent.)

• 2 slices of sourdough or other bread, broken into bite-sized pieces
• a handful of raw cashews or other nuts
• some raisins
• half an apple, cored and diced
• half a banana, sliced
• 1-2 tablespoons butter on top

Bake this at 300 degrees for a half hour.  The butter will melt, mix with juices from the fruits, and eventually soggify the bread delightfully.  Pour it all out into a bowl and pour a little milk or cream over the top.

You'll be singing Donizetti at the first bite!