Getting Steamed by Pudding

It was a classic case of false advertising. Gearing up for our second annual John D. Huston presentation of Dickens' Christmas Carol and its kicked-up Victorian menu, I Googled "plum pudding". My freezer was harbouring ten pounds of Saskatchewan grown red plums and I was eager to use them in the traditional English dessert. Imagine my surprise upon discovering that plum pudding contains raisins, currants and sundry other dried fruits, but no plums! And what in the world was suet? Do we grow that here?

As so often happens in a kitchen, plans changed. The plums were simmered with local honey, cloves, red wine, port and oranges to create a version of Smoking Bishop, a drink favoured by Victorians. Into the pudding went heirloom purple carrots, organic potatoes, fair trade dark chocolate chunks and ground cherries, cornmeal, ginger, cinnamon and suet. Unless you're a steamed pudding or bird feeding afficionado, you've probably never had to purchase the latter. It's beef fat mixed with wheat flour. Yum! The ingredients were assembled but how to concoct steamed pudding for 90? I canvassed anyone who set foot in the restaurant during the month of November who looked English or over the age of 60. None had a clear idea on how I should proceed and the Internet was just as murky. Most recipes ended with, "Then steam the puddings until done."

Finally, Lester Franklin, a regular coffee customer, retired farmer, World War II veteran and inventor found the answer. He suggested a fine mesh colander set over a pot of simmering water and covered with a lid. This worked handily. A mere 20 hours of steaming and 5 puddings later, my dessert was done. Soaked in brandy and topped with two sauces-sour cherry and white chocolate caramel-the result was...confusing. Lester and I tried a spoonful each. "Is it supposed to be mushy?" I asked. "I think so, " Lester said diplomatically, "Although it's been awhile since I've had it." But the Dickens night crowd enjoyed it immensely, perhaps favourably primed by the Smoking Bishop. Next year I'll make trifle!