Happy New Year!

When I was growing up in Hungary, bananas, oranges and tangerines were rarities that were only sold during the winter, when local, seasonal fruit was not available. Even then bananas were especially hard to come by. When a grocery store had a shipment it sold out within hours. I remember one afternoon in Budapest turning a corner and seeing one little grocery store putting out freshly arrived bananas. I immediately got in line and bought several kilos - enough for us and a couple of our neighbors.

I think the banana rice pudding might have been my mother's invention. It is very simple. Make sweet rice pudding with milk, let it cool, fold in banana slices and sweet whipped cream, refrigerate. Should be served cold.