Gail Williamson

"Tapioca has non-allergenic qualities that we're very interested in, especially the fact that it's gluten-free," says Gail Williamson, Hain's technical-services director.

And so, whatever your past experiences with fish eyes and frog spawn, you owe yourself a bowl of homemade tapioca pudding before the summer ends.You don't need a fancy recipe -- the one on the back of the instant tapioca package will do just fine.And you don't need much time, either; it's ready so quickly you can make it on a whim after dinner.

Pour it, still warm, over any ripe fruit: raspberries sprinkled with chopped Belgian bittersweet chocolate, blackberries, slices of peach or mango -- in which case you might want to substitute a little coconut milk for some of the milk in the recipe.