Friday, October 26, 2007

Rockin' Rice Pudding



There are certain foods that bore me and I'm not afraid to say that out loud.

But then again, these 'boring' foods are usually the most commonly used ones. That's probably why I find some of it to be so blah sometimes. Take rice for example...

I live in an Asian country where rice is a mainstay of the kitchen. My family has rice with everything - curry, soup, stews, meats and vegetables. It's no surprise. Rice fills you up fast and gives you energy.

Perhaps it's the way rice is being cooked here. Or the type of rice used. I've been eating white rice since god knows when but these days I prefer something more grainy and nutty - think brown rice, red cargo rice, and even buckwheat.

Yes, I do take rice for granted sometimes. Especially white rice. It's not a food that makes me go crazy.


BUT...


(yea there's always a but... duh!)

At times you realise that the most plain food can be the most exciting when coupled with other ingredients. Why so? Well isn't it simple? Think of it as a plain whiteboard. Would you use a black marker on a whiteboard or a black marker on a blackboard? Most probably the white one ya? That's to ensure high visibility.

Likewise, when it comes to food. It's better sometimes, to jazz up something plain with ingredients that have strong characteristics than try to make a mish mash of too many strong ingredients all fighting for attention. That's the way I see it and I really think it's amazing.

So when I found leftover rice in the fridge the other day.... I knew I had to do something about it. Something I've been thinking of doing but never got round to it. I decided to make rice pudding.

I really love puddings because they're so hearty and comforting. To me, puddings convey a very home-y feel and I find that really appealing. Perhaps it's the creaminess? Or the fact that it's full of milk-fat... which is oh so yummy.




I found a recipe that's been used by The Amateur Gourmet and it looked fool-proof. With a name like Rockin' Rice Pudding, how can I not be enticed?

It's a recipe that's so simple, any kid can do it. Seriously! Great for when you want to clear your leftover rice but can't bear to bin it. I hate to waste food... so maybe that's why.

I'm the sort of person who will keep leftover bread that no one wants and turn it into a delicious bread pudding. My friends can attest to that...



Did you think plain rice could taste this good as a dessert? I mean, all I added was some milk, cinnamon, raisins, butter and sugar. I heard that it tastes even better with ice cream. Mmmm..

Gosh, for the first time, I wish the fridge was filled with leftover rice. Maybe I shall start a club or something. So that those of you who are thinking of throwing away your lunch or dinner can actually donate some parts to me... hmm like RICE? hahaha. k that's too lame.




I have to agree with Tyler Florence; Rice is indeed nice.

Have it warm, or cold, this rice pudding tastes great either ways. Maybe I'll throw in some nuts next time... give it a bit of crunch.

All right... back to my papers. I have too many deadlines. Thus the inactivity. So pardon me if you had to keep looking at the natto photo everytime you drop by my blog.

Have a great weekend ya'll!

____________________________________________


Rockin’ Rice Pudding
Recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence
Show: Food 911
Episode: Rice is Nice

3 cups white rice, cooked
3 cups milk
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup raisins
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon, grated
1 teaspoon cinnamon, divided

Combine cooked rice, milk, sugar and butter in a medium saucepan. Add raisins and vanilla. Cook for 25 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed. Mix in lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Spoon pudding into a serving dish and dust with remaining cinnamon. May serve chilled or at room temperature.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow babes! You know how much I hate rice right? But your post makes me wanna have rice pudding! Hey if rice is gonna be yummy like that, I'd be sure to have some too!

Awesome stuff..am gonna ask my mom to make some rice pudding :)

Anonymous said...

Baker,
got some noob question to ask you.
wat u mean by

"Zest of 1 lemon, Grated" dun undestand grated portion

same goes to
"1 teaspoon cinnamon, divided", divided part i dun understand..

vanilla extract can be bought at super markets?

sorry for so much questions. i read ur blog for a while, but this is one dish i wanna try out!

Anonymous said...

hi, this looks simple yet delish. i was wondering the 3 cups of rice is measured before or after cooking? cos i think 3 cups before cooking would be a lot more than 3 cups after cooking right?:) thanks a lot.:)

Anonymous said...

hey, thanks for giving us a great idea of what to do with those leftover rice...this recipe seems simple but i also have the same questions as 'amd' is asking abt the lemon zest..;)

Anonymous said...

I have been looking far a good rice pudding recipe. So many thanks. To amd- the zest of 1 lemon-grated means to grate(or finely chop) the yellow part of the rind, without any of the white pith. 1 teaspoon cinn. divided means that you're going to use part of it in one step of the recipe, and the rest in another.

Anonymous said...

hi cheryl, i have been craving for rice pudding for quite sometime...after seeing your post, i have to cook it this weekend! lol

your blog is one of the few that i read, not frequently but regularly.

please keep it up...=)

Abitofafoodie said...

Like you, I'm not overly fond of rice. But when it comes to rice pudding... it is an entirely different matter! I'm interested you used regular white rice as I always thought that you had to use 'pudding rice'. Great tip.

Anonymous said...

Hi, I tried the rice pudding according to the recipe but it turned out much dryer than what your photo shows. Is it because the cooked rice should not be too dry in the first place?

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