Frannie

Here's an I.F. pudding-like dessert recipe from L.A. Frannie, originally a New Orleans girl. Now she's one of those all-round how-does-she-do-it type women, and she and her mom, another hottie, are both great cooks, if you like seafood gumbo, or shrimp creole, or anything else of the I-wish-I-could-make-mine-taste-like-that home-cooking variety. But word is, Frannie's grandmother was the true bomb, and this is her recipe.

L.A. FRANNIE'S GRANNY'S NEW ORLEANS CUSHAW

"We had this dessert a lot when I was growing up in New Orleans. Just a scoop on the side of your dinner plate made the rest of the baked, stewed, roux-laden starch go down easier." —L.A. Frannie

1 medium size gooseneck striped squash—any squash will do, but there's a yellow and green striped variety that my granny always used
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup sugar
cinnamon to taste
nutmeg to taste
1 teaspoon vanilla
speck of salt
1/2 cup milk
1 Tablespoon or so flour or cornstarch

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Wash squash well, and cut in half. Scoop out seeds and membranes, and discard. Cut remainder of squash in pieces, and boil in water in large pot until soft, approximately 30 minutes. Drain, then spoon out flesh.

Mash squash in large mixing bowl, and add remaining ingredients. Mix well.

Spread into an 8- or 9-inch square baking dish, and bake for 30 minutes, or until nicely browned on top. Serve with a spoon right onto your meal plate, if you want to be authentic about the whole thing.

"One Sunday in my grandma's kitchen, my Uncle B., schizophrenic and very vocal, must have missed out on the cushaw. Because I remember the entire dish ending up on the side of the refrigerator, and that was the end of that Sunday dinner. I was glad I'd gotten mine." —L.A. Frannie