Ever have a friend that you always invite over to gatherings and dinners, partly for the company and partly because you know they'll bring that one particular dish you've really become partial to?

In Heather's case, the recipe was her bread pudding. I happen to think that bread pudding is one of those recipes that you can play around with a bit; the idea is to soak the bread in a rich mixture of eggs, cream, and sugar so that it almost becomes a dough in its own right. Flavor it with baking spices, and add in a fruit that can absorb a bit of the liquid, and bake until it's set and golden and, yes, yummy.

This recipe calls for nutmeg and cinnamon. Given their similarity, you could possibly substitute a bit of mace for the nutmeg (given their similarity) or possibly some ground cloves if you like that taste better. If you're not partial to raisins, I'd think you could substitute another dried fruit (dried sweet cherries come to mind) with equal success.

Remember—in the end, cooking isn't about formulas. It's about the people that eat what you cook, the conversations you have over dinner, and the stories you tell afterwards about how you destroyed your kitchen while attempting a recipe.

Heather's Bread Pudding

2 loaves good-quality French bread
1 quart heavy cream
8 eggs
½ cup sugar (Heather says taste it and judge appropriately)
¼ tsp nutmeg
1T cinnamon
½ cup golden raisins

Preheat the oven to 400°. Cut the bread into cubes. Put the raisins in the bottom of the dish and layer the cubed bread over it. Whisk the cream, eggs, sugar, and spices together; pour over the bread and allow to soak for at least 15 minutes. Cover the dish with foil, and bake until set (around an hour, possibly a bit longer). Watch the pan carefully; when you think the pudding needs about ten more minutes before it's done, remove the foil so that the top of the pudding can brown.

Let cool down a bit. Invite friends over. Eat.