Legacy: A Crookneck, or Winter Squash Pudding

This recipe was adapted from America's first cookbook, Amelia Simmons' ``American Cookery,'' published in Hartford in 1796. It is likely that this extremely popular cookbook was known on Long Island, where commercial, religious and social ties to Connecticut were strong. It clearly reflects the new world culinary adaptations of southern New England, with which eastern Long Island was identified.

This early recipe is almost clear enough to follow in its original version, but its adaptation follows. It may be used as a pudding, a pie filling or a side dish with poultry or pork.

Core, boil and skin a good squash, and bruize [mash] it well; take 6 large apples, pared, cored and stewed tender, mix; add 6 or 7 spoonfuls of dry bread or biscuit, rendered fine as meal, half pint milk or cream, 2 spoons of rose-water, 2 do. [ditto] wine, 5 or 6 eggs beaten and strained, nutmeg, salt and sugar to your taste, one spoon flour, beat all smartly together, bake.

For the Modern Cook

2 medium winter squash, such as butternut or acorn, 3 to 3 1/2 pounds
3 apples, peeled, cored and stewed, or 1/2 cup prepared applesauce
3 tablespoons unflavored bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk or cream
2 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
2 tablespoons sweet wine, optional
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1. Cut squash in half and remove seeds. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, or boil until tender. Cool and peel.

2. Place squash in large saucepan. Mash over moderate heat. Add stewed apples or applesauce, bread crumbs, milk or cream, beaten eggs and sugar and continue mashing, over heat, until thickened. Add wine, nutmeg and salt.

Or: Place combined ingredients in dish and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, or until set. Serve hot. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Indian Pudding

Indian pudding, a colonial English-American staple, was still going strong in 1848 when E. Leslie published ``Directions for Cookery,'' from which this recipe is adapted. It makes a fine warm or cold dessert.

2 cups milk
1 cup stone-ground cornmeal