History Let's Talk Pudding!

[Eleanor Rose]

A drawing from the original edition of Lydia Maria Child's 'Flowers for Children,' which includes her famous Thanksgiving poem, "Over the River and Through the Wood,". (Library of Congress)

At the end of the classic Thanksgiving poem, "Over the River and Through the Wood," the little boy finally arrives at his grandfather's house for Thanksgiving dinner and sits down to eat. He immediately exclaims, "Hurrah for the fun! Is the pudding done? Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!" I've often read this and wondered why pudding was the first dish on the boy's mind. Why wasn't it turkey or stuffing?

It appears that in the 19th century when Lydia Maria Child wrote this poem most American cookbooks had a chapter devoted to puddings. Most folks enjoyed dessert puddings we would recognize today, but they also ate main course puddings and dozens of vegetable varieties. Many of the recipes had names like "Poor Man's Pudding" or "Poverty Pudding" reflecting pudding's popularity as an inexpensive meal.

Call me nostalgic, but I'd like to think there are a few things that still resonate from the 19th century, when Thanksgiving officially began being observed in America. So, how many of us had pudding for Thanksgiving this year?

Eleanor Rose did not.

 

[AshleyMel]

Not a puddin' kind of gal!
Didn't have much of it growing up either, at least not that I can remember.
When Nanny did make Jello Puddin', it was on the stove and it always had that skin on the top! Gross!

 

[Eleanor Rose]

Not a puddin' kind of gal!
Didn't have much of it growing up either, at least not that I can remember.
When Nanny did make Jello Puddin', it was on the stove and it always had that skin on the top! Gross!

I remember Jell-o stove top pudding very well. My mom was a master at making it. She would crumble graham cracker crumbs into the bottom of a dessert glass and layer the pudding on top. I loved it! Of course if it was left out too long a dark film would form on the top. I hated that too, but I loved the pudding so much I would just scrape it off. I probably shouldn't admit that!

 

[shermans_march]

I didn't get any pudding this year. My favorite kind is tapioca, which really isn't the thing you see at most of the Thanksgiving tables.

 

[nitrofd]

Not a fan of instant type,but I love tapioca,with butterscotch a close second.rice pudding is good also.

 

[JOHN42768]

Haven't had a plum pudding in a long time. It was a standard Thanksgiving dinner treat growing up. Love tapioca and rice pudding with lots of raisins

 

[MRB1863]

Just didn't get around to any type of pudding this year.

 

[nitrofd]

Not really pudding,but when you can get Yorkshire PuddING it's great.

 

[Blessmag]

Puddin--makes me think of Forest Gump and shrimp. There is vanilla puddin, chocolate puddin, butterscotch puddin.......

 

[nitrofd]

Down here in the south when you go out for BBQ you just have to end the meal with a dish of bandanna pudding with Nila wafers around it,and if it's a good place they will sliced bananas in the pudding.

 

[Eleanor Rose]

Down here in the south when you go out for BBQ you just have to end the meal with a dish of bandanna pudding with Nila wafers around it,and if it's a good place they will sliced bananas in the pudding.

That is so true!!

 

[AshleyMel]

Not really pudding,but when you can get Yorkshire PuddING it's great.

My Nanny used to make this! If it is what I am thinkin' of! She made it with roast beef! Kinda like a bread that was cooked in the beef juice??? It was delish!

 

[nitrofd]

My Nanny used to make this! If it is what I am thinkin' of! She made it with roast beef! Kinda like a bread that was cooked in the beef juice??? It was delish!

You are so right.good stuff.

 

[AshleyMel]

Oh nice! Would you have a recipe?

 

[Mrs. V]

Yes, you. Are correct. I make this every year to have with Roast beef. I made a mushroom gravy to go with it.

As for my pudding...I made the stuffing extra wet, because that is the way my husband likes it. So I think it should cound as a "pudding"...My stuffing has onion, celery and pureed cooked giblets. Ommm nom! There is rarely any left over, and if there is, it goes long before the turkey!

 

[AshleyMel]

You are so right.good stuff.

Yes, you. Are correct. I make this every year to have with Roast beef. I made a mushroom gravy to go with it.

As for my pudding...I made the stuffing extra wet, because that is the way my husband likes it. So I think it should cound as a "pudding"...My stuffing has onion, celery and pureed cooked giblets. Ommm nom! There is rarely any left over, and if there is, it goes long before the turkey!

Oh goodness! Yes! This sounds so much like what my Nanny used to make!
Any recipes would be appreciated!

 

[nitrofd]

Oh goodness! Yes! This sounds so much like what my Nanny used to make!
Any recipes would be appreciated!

It is not easy to make as you have to get your muffin pan super hot so the grease will boil.let's page member @Waterloo50 because he lives in the U.K. so he should have the best recipe for Yorks hire pudding.

 

[Mrs. V]

It is not easy to make as you have to get your muffin pan super hot so the grease will boil.let's page member @Waterloo50 because he lives in the U.K. so he should have the best recipe for Yorks hire pudding.

I will hunt it up in the morning for you. I use butter in my Yorkshire and I have a glazed stonewear pan that I use and it is awesome. This recipe comes from my Mother in law, and her peeps were from Britian and Scotland. I had never had it until I got married and was a bit leary...but I really liked it, and now I make it every year.

 

[shermans_march]

Puddin--makes me think of Forest Gump and shrimp. There is vanilla puddin, chocolate puddin, butterscotch puddin.......

Lieutenant Dan, you want some puddin with your ice cream!

 

[JohnW.]

No puddin except for the ribs ...nice and mushy.