We had Corn Pudding with the Baked Chicken for dinner on Sunday. Yes, the real corn pudding you describe, made with corn from this summer's bounty of "yellow gold".
That sounds like a perfect "summer holdout" meal, Mary. I love fall, but we're not there until we're there, right? Of course, corn pudding also has a place on the Thanksgiving table, as far as I'm concerned. Thanks for sharing!
But...was it the right kind of corn pudding? 😅 It really is a treat, in my view. But, being pudding averse, I'm glad I formed my opinion of it before ruling it out on account of its name. Let me know if you try "my" recipe. Thanks, Catherine.
“Strawberry flavored memory foam casserole.” Thoroughly enjoyed this entire … opinion piece? But that line in particular generated an embarrassingly sloppy laugh-cough! It brought to mind friendly arguments about jello salad: pink or green? Ugh.
Yep, telling the world how I really feel. I come by that honestly. Good to know that the strawberry-pretzel monstrosity is good for a guffaw, if nothing else. Jell-O is a big no-O in my world, regardless of color. Not no way, not no how.
Wish I had not read this around lunchtime because I am now starving for pudding... I must confess that my favorite pudding is a rare pudding and probably not many like it and it is the delicious vanilla flavored persimmon pudding.. Oh my goodness, cut me a square of that wonderfully textured heavenly delight with a dip of Vanilla Ice cream and consider me blessed.
You're in my head more than you realize, Barry. One of the only other puddings I eat is made with persimmons. It is more akin to a soft cake (by my "definition"), and it is a seasonal, household tradition. It matches your description in every way except for the vanilla-flavored part. Let's swap recipes sometime to see how they compare. Now, go get some lunch! 😋
I love pudding - chocolate pudding, bread pudding. I have a recipe for a lemon pudding that separates into a soft cake layer with pudding on top. I look forward to trying your recipe with some of the corn I froze from this summer. Thanks. And I enjoyed seeing the recipe card!
You can have all my servings, Suzanne, and I will be so very grateful to know that someone is enjoying them! I'm sure you're lemon pudding cake is divine! I don't deserve it.
The recipe card makes me smile, especially the "right much" comment. 😌 I am delighted that my mother saved such things. Thank you so much for reading and commenting.
An absolutely beautiful post, Elizabeth! I chuckled prematurely about what I had been going to comment about what 'pudding' means in British English... and chuckled harder when you'd got there first!
I had yoghurt for pudding this evening. <--- This makes 100% sense in British English, trust me! 🤣
I was hoping you'd weigh in, Rebecca, from the other side of the pond, with your British lens. Somewhere (maybe in the linked article?) I read that pudding as a course had to be something of significance, and that things like ice cream didn't qualify. That seemed ever more complicated, so I'm pleased to know not everyone follows that guidance. And now I have to ask: How do you enjoy your yoghurt? Plain, with fruit, a drizzle of honey, some nuts? Thanks so much for your nice words.
That's so interesting, Elizabeth! I haven't known that to be the case - to my mind (and those around me) 'pudding' is simply the sweet course, whatever that may be, that's eaten after a savoury meal. I'd say ice cream is definitely pudding if it's served at the end of a meal.
'What's for pudding tonight?'
'Ice cream!'
I like plain natural yoghurt - I make a batch of seven jars every three or four days, and that's usually what we have for pudding. 😊
Plain natural yoghurt - with no sweetener? I'm pretty sure that's a salad. LOL! Fist bumps on making your own. I do the same, 4-quarts at a time. See, we can still be friends after all. 😅
Actually I sometimes DO sprinkle some Splenda on it - it depends on how sharp the batch tests. Sometimes the yoghurt is sweet, thick and gooey, and sometimes it's runnier and more acidic. When it's the latter I'll dig out the Splenda and a teaspoon. 😊
4 quarts at a time - that sounds like loads! 🤣 I have a round Severin yoghurt maker which makes seven individual jars at a time, from 2 pints of whole milk. The fact that it's an odd number of jars is a little annoying seeing as we're a household of two, but no matter! I've put my latest batch on this morning - it'll be cool enough to put into the fridge by bedtime.
Tapioca pudding, chocolate pudding, bread puddings, savory and sweet… I love me all the puddings! Porridge, too, any old grain. I haven’t figured out how to recreate the corn pudding that lives in my memory, made by Mrs. Cubeta, our neighbor in Connecticut. That was a high point. You’ve inspired me to experiment again.
Oddly enough, I don't have the same aversion to porridge, though I don't eat it often because it falls into the breakfast column, and I'm not much of a breakfast eater these days. Grits, though... (I think we just came full circle, or thereabouts.) Do let me know if you manage to make Mrs. Cubeta's corn pudding! Thanks for reading and commenting, Nicole.
Oooh golly, Elizabeth. I hope we can still be friends after this but...
I'm a pudding/ dessert desperado. I'm addicted to a sweet finish to a meal. Perhaps it's my English heritage. What I do know is that Mum cooked brilliant puddings/desserts and I loved every single one.
Like you, I have her recipe book and my life passes before my eyes on every page. The memories are so strong I can smell and taste them.
The other reason you may not like me any more is that I can't abide corn in any form. Not even in Asian food which I love eating. As for popcorn...
Terrific post as always - you stir my memory banks every time.
I can absolutely look past differences in taste. After all, somebody's got to eat all that pudding! Maybe part of my problem is that I had too many bad puddings to allow space in my head (or on my plate) for the good ones. I am somewhat gobsmacked by your dislike for corn, though. Perhaps the same root cause? Too much rubbery, tasteless canned or frozen corn ahead of something really fresh and delicious? A girl can hope, right?
Corn pudding made with cornmeal, canned corn and heavy cream seemed to be a staple at Midwest family reunions, along with way too many pots of baked beans !
I made a pumpkin pudding this past weekend with my grandsons which was a hit! Somehow making a pumpkin pie always has leftover filling but no leftover pie crust!
Mmmm....well, now, I'm not so sure about the cornmeal. 🤣 I did a little research before writing this week's piece, Susan, and definitely noted that Midwestern corn puddings were very different than Southern versions. I'm betting your pumpkin pudding was lovely, and truth be told, I've got a persimmon pudding recipe (I call it "cake") that will probably be a follow-on to this essay some day. Appreciate the comment!
I laughed out loud when I got to the Strawberry Pretzel Dessert section. Then I had to go look at the list to see what states! I agree that is just a bizarre list overall! I do love rice pudding though, but it has density and texture... great piece. I enjoy corn pudding but haven’t ever made it. Love seeing the handwritten recipe and photo!
I'm glad you love it. Truly. I'm glad that there are all kinds of people and flavors in the big ol' world. There is a factor that hasn't come up yet which also probably influences my avoidance of puddings: I am a chocolate fiend. Give me a chocolate chip cookie, a good brownie, or a piece of scratch chocolate cake. I can do some damage on those desserts! 🤣
That handwritten recipe card was really the impetus for the whole piece. Like holding my history in my hands.
Thanks for your comments, Amy. Always appreciated.
I was telling someone about your piece today and said how odd the whole pudding thing seemed..... "Pudding is comfort food," I was told. Hmmm? Bread pudding, maybe. Rice pudding, yes. But some of those others? (Dirt pudding! And the strawberry pretzel thing kills me.) I can't believe people weren't looking up chocolate chip cookies and crazy Bundt cakes, monster cookies and blondies and so on. Half the people were making sourdough bread.... and evidently also searching pudding? Lol.
So dear! All those smudged bits of text. It looks like she used a fountain pen, don't you think?
I've long been fascinated by the slightly left-leaning tilt of my grandmother's writing. My father used to think he should have been left-handed. He batted and golfed like a lefty, but back then, writing with one's left hand would have been strongly discouraged in schools. Even more so when my grandmother was coming along, I presume. So I've often wondered if she was born as a left-dominant person and switched over due to training, or un-training, as it were.
If only I could learn to like Jell-O, Paula! It took years for me to come to terms with chocolate mousse and whipped cream. Still can’t tolerate Cool Whip. I’m a mess! 😁
We had Corn Pudding with the Baked Chicken for dinner on Sunday. Yes, the real corn pudding you describe, made with corn from this summer's bounty of "yellow gold".
That sounds like a perfect "summer holdout" meal, Mary. I love fall, but we're not there until we're there, right? Of course, corn pudding also has a place on the Thanksgiving table, as far as I'm concerned. Thanks for sharing!
I was served corn pudding once, and was surprised at how delicious it was!
But...was it the right kind of corn pudding? 😅 It really is a treat, in my view. But, being pudding averse, I'm glad I formed my opinion of it before ruling it out on account of its name. Let me know if you try "my" recipe. Thanks, Catherine.
“Strawberry flavored memory foam casserole.” Thoroughly enjoyed this entire … opinion piece? But that line in particular generated an embarrassingly sloppy laugh-cough! It brought to mind friendly arguments about jello salad: pink or green? Ugh.
Yep, telling the world how I really feel. I come by that honestly. Good to know that the strawberry-pretzel monstrosity is good for a guffaw, if nothing else. Jell-O is a big no-O in my world, regardless of color. Not no way, not no how.
Wish I had not read this around lunchtime because I am now starving for pudding... I must confess that my favorite pudding is a rare pudding and probably not many like it and it is the delicious vanilla flavored persimmon pudding.. Oh my goodness, cut me a square of that wonderfully textured heavenly delight with a dip of Vanilla Ice cream and consider me blessed.
You're in my head more than you realize, Barry. One of the only other puddings I eat is made with persimmons. It is more akin to a soft cake (by my "definition"), and it is a seasonal, household tradition. It matches your description in every way except for the vanilla-flavored part. Let's swap recipes sometime to see how they compare. Now, go get some lunch! 😋
I love pudding - chocolate pudding, bread pudding. I have a recipe for a lemon pudding that separates into a soft cake layer with pudding on top. I look forward to trying your recipe with some of the corn I froze from this summer. Thanks. And I enjoyed seeing the recipe card!
You can have all my servings, Suzanne, and I will be so very grateful to know that someone is enjoying them! I'm sure you're lemon pudding cake is divine! I don't deserve it.
The recipe card makes me smile, especially the "right much" comment. 😌 I am delighted that my mother saved such things. Thank you so much for reading and commenting.
So thoughtful and clever, Elizabeth.
Thank you, Ann. Tell me about YOUR corn pudding. Surely you have thoughts of your own on the subject!
An absolutely beautiful post, Elizabeth! I chuckled prematurely about what I had been going to comment about what 'pudding' means in British English... and chuckled harder when you'd got there first!
I had yoghurt for pudding this evening. <--- This makes 100% sense in British English, trust me! 🤣
I was hoping you'd weigh in, Rebecca, from the other side of the pond, with your British lens. Somewhere (maybe in the linked article?) I read that pudding as a course had to be something of significance, and that things like ice cream didn't qualify. That seemed ever more complicated, so I'm pleased to know not everyone follows that guidance. And now I have to ask: How do you enjoy your yoghurt? Plain, with fruit, a drizzle of honey, some nuts? Thanks so much for your nice words.
That's so interesting, Elizabeth! I haven't known that to be the case - to my mind (and those around me) 'pudding' is simply the sweet course, whatever that may be, that's eaten after a savoury meal. I'd say ice cream is definitely pudding if it's served at the end of a meal.
'What's for pudding tonight?'
'Ice cream!'
I like plain natural yoghurt - I make a batch of seven jars every three or four days, and that's usually what we have for pudding. 😊
Plain natural yoghurt - with no sweetener? I'm pretty sure that's a salad. LOL! Fist bumps on making your own. I do the same, 4-quarts at a time. See, we can still be friends after all. 😅
Salad!!!!! 🤣 You've really made me laugh!
Actually I sometimes DO sprinkle some Splenda on it - it depends on how sharp the batch tests. Sometimes the yoghurt is sweet, thick and gooey, and sometimes it's runnier and more acidic. When it's the latter I'll dig out the Splenda and a teaspoon. 😊
4 quarts at a time - that sounds like loads! 🤣 I have a round Severin yoghurt maker which makes seven individual jars at a time, from 2 pints of whole milk. The fact that it's an odd number of jars is a little annoying seeing as we're a household of two, but no matter! I've put my latest batch on this morning - it'll be cool enough to put into the fridge by bedtime.
Tapioca pudding, chocolate pudding, bread puddings, savory and sweet… I love me all the puddings! Porridge, too, any old grain. I haven’t figured out how to recreate the corn pudding that lives in my memory, made by Mrs. Cubeta, our neighbor in Connecticut. That was a high point. You’ve inspired me to experiment again.
Oddly enough, I don't have the same aversion to porridge, though I don't eat it often because it falls into the breakfast column, and I'm not much of a breakfast eater these days. Grits, though... (I think we just came full circle, or thereabouts.) Do let me know if you manage to make Mrs. Cubeta's corn pudding! Thanks for reading and commenting, Nicole.
Oooh golly, Elizabeth. I hope we can still be friends after this but...
I'm a pudding/ dessert desperado. I'm addicted to a sweet finish to a meal. Perhaps it's my English heritage. What I do know is that Mum cooked brilliant puddings/desserts and I loved every single one.
Like you, I have her recipe book and my life passes before my eyes on every page. The memories are so strong I can smell and taste them.
The other reason you may not like me any more is that I can't abide corn in any form. Not even in Asian food which I love eating. As for popcorn...
Terrific post as always - you stir my memory banks every time.
I can absolutely look past differences in taste. After all, somebody's got to eat all that pudding! Maybe part of my problem is that I had too many bad puddings to allow space in my head (or on my plate) for the good ones. I am somewhat gobsmacked by your dislike for corn, though. Perhaps the same root cause? Too much rubbery, tasteless canned or frozen corn ahead of something really fresh and delicious? A girl can hope, right?
Thanks for being part of the conversation, Prue.
Corn pudding made with cornmeal, canned corn and heavy cream seemed to be a staple at Midwest family reunions, along with way too many pots of baked beans !
I made a pumpkin pudding this past weekend with my grandsons which was a hit! Somehow making a pumpkin pie always has leftover filling but no leftover pie crust!
Mmmm....well, now, I'm not so sure about the cornmeal. 🤣 I did a little research before writing this week's piece, Susan, and definitely noted that Midwestern corn puddings were very different than Southern versions. I'm betting your pumpkin pudding was lovely, and truth be told, I've got a persimmon pudding recipe (I call it "cake") that will probably be a follow-on to this essay some day. Appreciate the comment!
I laughed out loud when I got to the Strawberry Pretzel Dessert section. Then I had to go look at the list to see what states! I agree that is just a bizarre list overall! I do love rice pudding though, but it has density and texture... great piece. I enjoy corn pudding but haven’t ever made it. Love seeing the handwritten recipe and photo!
I also love rice pudding! But I learned about it when I lived in Washington DC. I can’t get any of my Texas family to eat it.
What does your Texas family love, Laura?
I'm glad you love it. Truly. I'm glad that there are all kinds of people and flavors in the big ol' world. There is a factor that hasn't come up yet which also probably influences my avoidance of puddings: I am a chocolate fiend. Give me a chocolate chip cookie, a good brownie, or a piece of scratch chocolate cake. I can do some damage on those desserts! 🤣
That handwritten recipe card was really the impetus for the whole piece. Like holding my history in my hands.
Thanks for your comments, Amy. Always appreciated.
I was telling someone about your piece today and said how odd the whole pudding thing seemed..... "Pudding is comfort food," I was told. Hmmm? Bread pudding, maybe. Rice pudding, yes. But some of those others? (Dirt pudding! And the strawberry pretzel thing kills me.) I can't believe people weren't looking up chocolate chip cookies and crazy Bundt cakes, monster cookies and blondies and so on. Half the people were making sourdough bread.... and evidently also searching pudding? Lol.
I have recipes from my grandmother that look exactly like the card of yours.
So dear! All those smudged bits of text. It looks like she used a fountain pen, don't you think?
I've long been fascinated by the slightly left-leaning tilt of my grandmother's writing. My father used to think he should have been left-handed. He batted and golfed like a lefty, but back then, writing with one's left hand would have been strongly discouraged in schools. Even more so when my grandmother was coming along, I presume. So I've often wondered if she was born as a left-dominant person and switched over due to training, or un-training, as it were.
I’ve never had corn pudding but strawberry pretzel salad is my childhood in a glass Pyrex dish. (Not mushy if done right)
If only I could learn to like Jell-O, Paula! It took years for me to come to terms with chocolate mousse and whipped cream. Still can’t tolerate Cool Whip. I’m a mess! 😁