Bread pudding, with a view

When you think of eating in a park, you probably think of a picnic or barbecue.We found a restaurant with a prime location and an even better view.

We're talking about Liberty State Park in New Jersey, which has bike and walking trails and a glorious view of the water, Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. And you can take it all in from a restaurant called Liberty House, located at 76 Audrey Zapp Drive in Liberty State Park.

There are a couple of reasons frequent customers come to Liberty House, and a big part of it is the the view. Lower Manhattan is just a taxi ride away...a water taxi, that is. And Lady Liberty is right in your sights.

And that's fun for chef Phil Campanella, who often finds himself preparing food for special occasions like wedding proposals and anniversaries. On his spring menu, he's featuring a savory bread pudding. The wet ingredients are stock, eggs and milk, which are mixed together. The dry ingredients are asparagus and bread cubes, which are mixed separately. Then, the wet mix is poured on top of the dry, and it all soaks together. Chef Phil likes to bake the bread pudding in little ramekins.

Once baked, they're plated and served either as an appetizer or a brunch item. There's also muscles, pasta and kebabs to choose from.

Recipe for bread pudding:

Ingredients:

One 1-pound loaf brioche cut into 3/4-inch cubes

3 cups milk

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon chopped rosemary

1/4 teaspoon chopped parsley

1/4 teaspoon chopped thyme

1 pound blanched asparagus sliced

3 to 4 ounces chopped country ham or prosciutto

1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots

1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled goat cheese

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan with butter

Put all the bread cubes, country ham, asparagus and goat cheese in a large bowl.

In medium bowl, whish together the milk, broth, eggs, salt, pepper and herb until combined. Pour the mixture over the bread.

Fold everything together well to combine the ingredients. Spoon mixture into the prepared pan and pat down the top to compact the ingredients.

Bake the pudding for 45 minutes, or until the top is browned and crisp and there is no liquid in the center. Let sit for 10 minutes before cutting.