Indian Pudding

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9- by 5- by 3-inch Pyrex loaf pan.

Combine the milk and cornmeal in a medium stainless or enamel saucepan. Cooh over moderate heat, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and continue stirring until it is as thick as oatmeal.

Add the sugar, brown sugar, molasses, salt, butter, cloves and 2 cups of the half-and-half. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture back to a boil and transfer to the prepared loaf pan.

Place inside a larger pan and pour in boiling water until it rises halfway up the sides of the loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour, stirring once after the first half hour.

Press the grated ginger against a fine sieve or squeeze it in a square of cheesecloth to extract 1 or 2 tablespoons of juice. After the pudding has baked for 1 hour, add the ginger juice and the remaining cup of -nd half-and stir to mix. Bake for an additional hour, stirring again after half an hour.

Serve immediately in small bowls or cups, or store in the refrigerator and reheat, stirring, over low heat.

This recipe yields 8 servings.