Today a friend surprised me with a gift of a "new" old cook book. It is called 'Through the Kitchen Door' and was published in 1938. It was written by a married couple, Grace and Beverly Smith, who traveled the country (the forty eight states) and wrote about the experience. In it they talk about the people they met and the many places, both restaurants and homes, where they shared meals. Included are many recipes, too. Of course, as I flipped through the book for the first time, one recipe jumped off the pages at me. Dolly's Rice Custard. This recipe came from their visit to San Antonio, Texas. The cook for that evening was one Dolly Richardson. Dolly and her sister Katy talked cooking as well. The southern accent in their speech was interesting, though the conversation concerned the cooking of armadillo. I will say no more on that, thank you very much.

The following is right from the pages of 'Through the Kitchen Door':

Well, if it were a true custard it would indeed include eggs. But I have been looking for a simple rice pudding recipe for some time and thought this is a very good place to start. Here is how I made it. And just a couple of notes: I cut back on the salt and it was just fine and I don't own a double boiler so I used a heat proof glass bowl set down into a pan of simmering water. It works just fine.

In the lower part of a double boiler bring some water to a simmer. In the top of the double boiler mix the rice, salt and water, cover and cook for 30 minutes or till the water in the rice mixture has been absorbed. Stir in the milk and sugar and cover again continuing to cook for another 45 minutes to 1 hour. Spoon the rice into 2 or 3 custard cups and chill. Unmold on a plate and spoon some warmed strawberry jam or preserves on top and serve. This recipe may be doubled or even tripled if you need more servings.