Corn Pudding to Die For

Down South, where I come from, the funeral feast is a time honored tradition. It is largely an on-going orgy of “covered dishes” commencing the moment the deceased deceases and continuing until the day after the interment -- a sometimes week long ritual that must harken back to the old Appalachian custom of sin eating, although in this instance we’re all doing the eating, and enjoying it too, if that could be possible given the circumstances. (Thus the true meaning of the words “comfort food.”) And we were Methodist, and nobody does a funeral like the Methodists, except maybe the Episcopalians, and only because they aren't teetotalers and usually serve “punch." Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays observe in their most excellent, must read, book, “Being Dead is No Excuse, The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral,” that the casserole is the most characteristically Methodist death dish, and they are so right. Women of my mother's generation used to keep a stash of pre-made casseroles in the freezer so when somebody died they could just pop one in the oven and have it to the family before the body was even cold.

While I've never actually tried freezing this scrumptious corn casserole, I have enjoyed something like it at the very best home visitations and family repasts in my native Georgia. The original recipe for my version of this traditional dish came from the Spices of the World Cookbook, published by McCormick spices many years ago, one of the first cookbooks I ever bought and still one of my favorites. (If you ever find one, snap it up.) Trust me, it's much too good to save just for funerals.

SWEET CORN PUDDING

4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
3 cans cream style corn
2 cans whole kernel corn, drained
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, melted
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons arrowroot (or cornstarch)
1/1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt (Season-All)
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
Dash cayenne or red pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs and milk in large bowl. Add corn and butter.

Mix sugar, arrowroot, seasoned salt and ground mustard, add to corn mixture. Stir in onions. Season to taste with a dash of cayenne pepper.

Pour into buttered 3-quart baking dish.

Bake 1 hour until top is lightly browned. Stir once, midway through cooking.

Serves 6 to 8, unless you give in to the temptation of making a meal of it.