When I was a newly wed we rented a house from a very good cook. She was a music teacher by profession but a gourmet by nature.

On one occasion, Auntie Mali had been given some parsley and she knew that Peter had grown a thick border of it, so it wasdecided that she and I would make some wine. We did and, as she said,it had a 'kick like a mule.'

She wasoften cooking or baking and one of the first things she'dsay to me was 'Try this. What do you think of the flavour?'Always, it was good. I particularly rememberher jars of apple jelly, to be eaten with meat, and an ox tail that had simmered for hours, till the fleshdroppped off.

Among the things I baked that she liked was Pwdin Bara, Bread Pudding.

It is saidthat a thin cook should never be trusted and I think there is some truth in it.Auntie Maliwas no sylph but her portions were big.

Recentlya very slim, famouscookdiedand though her recipes were delicious, when she said 'Serves four', I knewthat I would have to double thequantities.

I married a man who never puts a pound on and who always scrutinizes his food before picking up his spoon,but this does not deter me:I cook on.

When cooking, I am very elastic withquantities and ingredients, especially Bread Pudding. I like finding the short cut, too. I have watched people making bread pudding,cutting the crusts off, buttering each slice, layering the slices with sugar and currants, heating the milk, whisking the eggs and so on, till they're fit to drop.

Here's my way:

8 slices of bread (Sour dough is good but the cheapest from the supermarketis fine)

2 eggs

4 ozs (120 gms) butter

1 pint or a half litre of full cream milk

4 ozs brown sugar (120 gms or thereabouts)- honey,syrup or, if you like it, marmalade.

Currants, mixed peel, glace cherries, the quantity can be whateveryou like. Sometimes Iuse mince meat.

A pinch of nutmeg or ginger

Method:

Place the bread in a buttered overproof container and sprinkle the dried fruit over it.

Warm the milk, together with the butter and the sugar and spices. Do not overheat the milk. Beat the eggs in and as long as the milk is not too hot there'll be no curdling (strain the mixture if it curdles)

Pour the milky mixture over the bread and curtains, ensuring it soaks into the bread. Now the dish is ready to go into a hot oven, but not too hot otherwise the top will burn. (I'm not giving oven temperature's because oven's vary.) Cook for about half an hour, unitl it's puffy and golden. Nothing could be easier. Eat with ice-cream, custard or cream.

(Peter says whatI make is Bread and Butter Pudding.His mother made Bread Pudding which was bread soaked in water over night thensqueezed till it wasdryish. A small amount of sugar, a little milk-(not too much)and currants were added to the breadbefore it was baked for half an hour. When ready it was sliced and eaten with butter and jam.)

A variation on my Bread Pudding recipeis to omit the sugar and spices and add a few ounces of any grated cheese you have and cook for half an hour. Eat this hot with salad. I have had it in a restaurant with spinach and onions, too. Mind to add plenty of seasoningand a pinch of mustard.