Plum Pudding

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BobArch2
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Plum Pudding

Post by BobArch2 »

I started my working career with Canadian National Railways in the late 50’s. At the end of that decade and into the early 60’s I traveled with other team members across Canada installing computer systems. The best time to travel was during the Christmas season when the dining car chefs would serve up plum pudding. A delicious dessert made in Montreal’s Point St. Charles Coach Yard.

Aside from the plum pudding being served in the dining cars, CN employees were also allowed to buy cans of the fine desert for home consumption. Christmas was not Christmas in the family household if I did not bring home the dessert. Albeit that I left CNR in the late 60’s, I retained friendships with folks who could be counted on to get me the annual fix. My Father demanded it and his demands were always met.

Attached is a PDF document that provides some history surrounding this fine dessert and it also contains the recipe. The only recipe that is missing is for hard sauce that is a great covering. Your favourite search engine can provide many recipes for hard sauce.

Hope you enjoy plum pudding as much as I.
Plum Pudding.pdf
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Regards,
Bob

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Rudi
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Re: Plum Pudding

Post by Rudi »

Looks delicious.
Must give this a try sometime. :thankyou: :xsmile:
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Rudi

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Timelord
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Re: Plum Pudding

Post by Timelord »

My dad is English and makes this every year for Christmas. He always has one that is a year old, fermented a little, and makes a new one. This allows those who don't want the full flavor a nice fresh one and for those of us who really love the full on affect we get the year old. He just makes a yellow custard to go with ours.
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PaulB
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Re: Plum Pudding

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BobArch2 wrote:I started my working career with Canadian National Railways in the late 50’s. At the end of that decade and into the early 60’s I traveled with other team members across Canada installing computer systems. The best time to travel was during the Christmas season when the dining car chefs would serve up plum pudding. A delicious dessert made in Montreal’s Point St. Charles Coach Yard.
I started my working career with IBM in the mid-60s at PVM in Montreal. I would sometimes skip across Dorchester at lunchtime to eat at the CN HQ cafeteria and play bridge or chess with some people I knew there, maybe even you, Bob. I remember they served plum pudding at Christmas time. Wonder if it was the same one you're talking about.
Regards,
Paul

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Rudi
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Re: Plum Pudding

Post by Rudi »

I wouldn't eat the above plum pudding Paul. Its 3 years old!! :grin:
You may want to inquire if Chris has more recent bottled plums in his pantry for a new pudding.
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Rudi

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BobArch2
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Re: Plum Pudding

Post by BobArch2 »

Rudi wrote:I wouldn't eat the above plum pudding Paul. Its 3 years old!! :grin:
You may want to inquire if Chris has more recent bottled plums in his pantry for a new pudding.
Plum pudding prepared and stored properly can last for years ... just like fruitcake! :hairout:
Regards,
Bob

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BobArch2
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Re: Plum Pudding

Post by BobArch2 »

PaulB wrote:I started my working career with IBM in the mid-60s at PVM in Montreal. I would sometimes skip across Dorchester at lunchtime to eat at the CN HQ cafeteria and play bridge or chess with some people I knew there, maybe even you, Bob. I remember they served plum pudding at Christmas time. Wonder if it was the same one you're talking about.
Glad you enjoyed the food at CN HQ workplace! :grin: And yes, the Christmas time plum pudding served was the same as depicted in the recipe I posted above.

I doubt that we played bridge or chess as I left CN in 1966 and from 65-66 I was located at the Pointe St. Charles Shops where I had been sent to set up and manage a Data Centre while developing a Labour Reporting System. Was an interesting end to my career at CN as the "Pointe" was fully unionized while the Data Centre wasn't. The union heads were constantly trying to unionize my staff ... but too no avail.

Considering you worked for IBM at PVM it was very possible we have/had mutual friends. In the late 50's I worked at the International Aviation Centre where CN's Data Processing Centre was located with a pair of IBM 650s processing all of CN's payroll. We had IBM System support and hardware support staff on site. When the time came to move to the new CN HQ building several of CN's Automated Centres were merged and located on one floor. Which, if I remember correctly was on the 5th floor. When the moved occurred, our group transitioned from the 650 to the IBM 7070 and we had to test our developing software in Cleveland as IBM at PVM were still in the process of installing the 7070 hardware as support for clients. We were eventually able to use the Support Centre at PVM.

Interesting times!
Regards,
Bob