A lot of people are talking about the new business coming to town. Have you heard? Snap Fitness 24/7 is going into the old Hunter’s Mid-Town building on the corner of Leonard and Garland.

Yes! We are getting a gym and I’m so excited. I belonged to the Snap Fitness in Sparta and was in the best shape of my life. I read in the paper a few weeks back that they are scheduled to open April 15. I plan on being one of their first members, and you should, too.

If you make and eat the recipe in this week’s column, you are probably going to need a little more exercise — and couldn’t we all use more exercise after the extremely long winter we’ve had this year?

This recipe isn’t like my Grandma Ginger’s, which is full of cream and eggs then topped with a rich rum sauce and full of raisins. I will put that into print another day. I’m planning a brunch in April and I thought this dish always delights my company.

Have a great week in the kitchen.

Savory Bread Pudding

Butter for greasing the baking pan

2 cups stale bread, cut into 1/4 inch cubes

1 pound baby spinach (13 cups packed)

1 cup grated Gruyere cheese

2 tablespoons olive oil or butter

8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps cut into 1/4 inch slices

2 tablespoons minced shallots

3 large eggs

2 cups half-and-half

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper.

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan or large cast iron skillet. Spread the cubes in the prepared baking pan and set aside.

Place about one-fourth of the spinach in a large, preferably nonstick, skillet over medium-low heat and cook, turning frequently with tongs until it wilts, three to five minutes. (If you are not using a nonstick skillet, add one tablespoon of water to the spinach.) Continue adding spinach to the skillet until all of it has wilted.

Spread the spinach evenly over the bread cubes. Sprinkle half a cup of the cheese on top of the spinach.

Heat the olive oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, five to eight minutes. Scatter the mushroom mixture evenly over the spinach.

Place the eggs, half-and-half and salt in a medium size bowl, season with salt and pepper to taste and whisk to blend. Pour the egg mixture over the mushroom mixture and top with the remaining half cup of Gruyere cheese. Use a spatula or spoon to press down on the bread pudding, making sure all the ingredients are moistened by the egg mixture.

Bake the bread pudding until puffed and golden, 35 to 45 minutes. Let it sit on a wire rack until firm, 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Serve this dish with fresh fruit and slices of bacon or ham; it’s a delicious centerpiece for brunch buffet. It will also perform double duty as an elegant side and can stand next to any rib roast or steak. If you have any leftovers — which I doubt you will — they can be heated up nicely in the microwave.

If you have a question or comment about a recipe in this column, e-mail Kimberly Edwards at kledwards68@ yahoo.com. Kimberly also teaches a monthly cooking course; for more information call (608) 399-4349.