Last month I confessed that I'd never heard of pouring milk over a slice of carrot cake until my friend Brent introduced me to it. Judging from the responses, I wasn't the only one discovering a new dessert tradition!

Reader Dave Roberts wrote to tell me that I may have only scratched the surface.

Then he introduced me to something I'd never tried before: crème anglaise.

If you're not familiar with it, crème anglaise is a silky vanilla custard sauce made from milk, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Dave says it's wonderful over all kinds of desserts, and he's especially looking forward to serving it over poached pears.

I have to admit...by the time I finished reading his email, my mouth was watering!

Now I think Dave has created a problem. I can't stop wondering what other amazing dessert traditions I've been missing all these years. So here's my challenge to all of you:

Maybe it's something your grandmother always served, a regional favorite, or a secret topping that makes an ordinary dessert extraordinary.

If you've got one, send it my way. If Dave's poached pears with crème anglaise are as good as he says, I may just have to add them to Cook'n...after he sends me the recipe, of course! 😄