Colonial Baked Whole Pumpkin "Pie"
& Sweet Potato Pudding

__________________________________________________

             FOOD FUNNY
__________________________________________________

Here's a cute one from Rosemary Zwick:

One day a mother took her 6-year-old son with her to visit a friend at
work. Everyone there knew her, and she was offered a cup of coffee. That
day, as one of the employees went to make more coffee, her son followed
her and asked, "What are you doing?"

"I'm making your mom's favorite drink," she answered.

Imagine the woman's shock when she heard her son say, "Wow! You know how to make beer?"

__________________________________________________

             TODAY'S RECIPE
__________________________________________________

According to my research staff *, today's recipe (or one like it,
actually) was a favorite of George Washington. It was called a pie in
George's day, and may have been the ancestor of the classic pumpkin pie
of today. Give it a try, and keep it in your repertoire as an
alternative to the more traditional version that we are all familiar with.

Baked Whole Pumpkin "Pie"

A 4 to 6 lb (2 to 3 kg) pumpkin
6 eggs
2 cups (500 ml) whipping cream
1/2 cup (125 ml) brown sugar
2 tsp (10 ml) molasses
1/2 tsp (2 ml) freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp (5 ml) cinnamon
1/2 tsp (2 ml) allspice
1/4 tsp (1 ml) powdered ginger
2 Tbs (30 ml) butter

Remove the top of the pumpkin and scrape out the seeds and membranes as
though you were making a jack-o'lantern. Mix the remaining ingredients
together except the butter and pour into the pumpkin. Top with the
butter, put the lid of the pumpkin in place, and place in a large baking
dish. Bake at 350F (180C) for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the mixture has
set. Serve from the pumpkin at the table, scraping a little of the
pumpkin flesh to accompany each serving.
Serves 6 to 8.

It's hard to picture a meal in the South without sweet potatoes in one
form or another, and this is true in the low-country of the Carolinas
and Georgia as well. This time the sweet tuber does duty as dessert.

Sweet Potato Pudding

4 cups (1 L) grated peeled sweet potato
2 cups (500 ml) molasses (treacle) or dark corn syrup
1 cup (250 ml) brown sugar
1 cup (250 ml) chopped citron
1/2 cup (125 ml) orange juice
1/2 cup (125 ml) water
1/4 cup (60 ml) raisins
Grated rind of 1 orange
Grated rind of 1 lemon
1 tsp (5 ml) cinnamon
1 tsp (5 ml) ground ginger

Combine all ingredients and pour into a greased baking dish. Bake in a
preheated 350F (180C) oven for 45 minutes, until golden brown on top. Serve warm.
Serves 6 to 8.
Received on Thu Nov 20 22:31:03 2008