The Farmer & His Wife
The proof of the rice pudding is in the eating, John Taylor says.
ANNE was in hospital. She’d been there for far too long for my liking, but there was nothing I could do about it except hope she would be out soon.
Anne says I get daft ideas, particularly about food. Naturally, I don’t agree! I’m a great believer in a little of what you fancy doing good . . .
It was a cold, miserable morning, with a nasty east wind blowing. I suddenly got the notion for a rice pudding.
We always have lots of milk, so Anne makes a milk pudding at least once a week. Unfortunately, I’ve never really watched her closely. She seems to do it in two minutes flat then sticks it in the oven.
That night, after coming back from visiting her, I thought, well, if it looks so easy, why shouldn’t I make myself one?
I remembered a spinster aunt of mine had given us “Mrs Beeton’s Book Of Household Management”. It has over 1,600 pages and, more importantly, 37 ways of cooking rice – including a good, old-fashioned rice pudding!
All I needed was a pint of milk, three tablespoons of rice, one and a half tablespoons of sugar, plus salt and nutmeg.
As I was putting the ingredients together, I remembered going to the Young Farmers’ annual concert in Cupar. It ran for three nights. Anne and I got tickets for the final show on the Saturday.
Two boys were giving a quick slapstick sketch and didn’t stick to the script.
“I bet you couldn’t knock the skin off a rice pudding.”
As quick as a flash his opposite number said, “You couldn’t knock the skin off my mother’s rice pudding.”
The audience burst into laughter.
His mother, Maisie, was in the hall. He never lived that one down! Neither did she!
I got the rice pudding all ready, then hesitated. When I’d mentioned to Anne I was thinking of making myself one, she’d looked doubtful.
“Do it in a pan, John. It’s not worth putting the oven on for that.”
But I wanted mine to be as good as hers – so I did it in the oven.
I added the final touch, mentally thanking one of our grandsons. He was working in London and couldn’t think what to give his granny for Christmas. Walking round Harrods, no less, he saw a rack with ten jars filled with spices. Just the thing for Anne!
One contained nutmeg. I sprinkled it on top of my rice pudding.
I really enjoyed that pudding. It was almost as good as Anne’s – but I haven’t told her yet that I baked it in the oven . . .