THE TASTE IS IN THE PUDDING

During a recent dinner visit to a friend's house, the genial host announced that he was going to make rice pudding. That remark triggered memories.

My mother made three puddings that were family favorites: rice, tapioca and vanilla. My favorite was vanilla pudding, served with applesauce.

Puddings during the Great Depression days were easy to make and the fixings were inexpensive to buy. Mom's rice pudding included raisins and it was topped with cinnamon. Yummy! It is still an acceptable home dessert today, but in most restaurants it cannot be found - not glamorous enough I suppose. However, you will find it in the Mom & Pop eating places.

Tapioca is a different story. I have not seen it on restaurant menus for years. Perhaps it's because people view it as my sister did, with an "Ugh, those things look like fish eyes!" Nevertheless, it was downed quickly at our table.

Vanilla pudding topped with applesauce is oh sooooo good. If we were fortunate, some of Mom's cookies were included.

Speaking of applesauce, I think it is a food-for-all-ages. My great-grandchildren love it and so does their great-grandfather - slathered on top of some vanilla ice cream, that too, is oh sooooo good.

When you see your family ingesting applesauce with gusto, you will know that it is a good choice.

More, later.