I never push CJ on his food issues. I remember what it was like. Everything was too mushy, too crunchy, too spicy, too whatever. I would peel and pick my dinners apart. My mom was kind enough to make me a toasted cheese on chili night. When it came to rice pudding I was told “fine, you don’t have to eat it, that’s means more for us”. That was then, this is now-
There are two versions of rice pudding at my parent’s house - one for my dad and one for my brother. This is a version of my brother’s favorite. It’s an adaptation of my grandmother’s recipe. She made it with traditional rice, but it’s made like a risotto, so I thought why not try it with arborio.
Tasting this was a definite “what was I thinking?” moment. What was a mix of strange textures when I was little was found to actually be blend of creamy milk pudding and soft but toothy grains of rice. To no one’s surprise, the kids didn’t have any part of it. Which of course means more for me.
risotto rice pudding
1 cup uncooked arborio rice
milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon of vanilla
Place rice in medium saucepan and cover with 2″ of milk. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1/2 hour. Keep adding milk to keep it loose. Taste after 1/2 hour for texture. When rice is cooked, add sugar and vanilla.
I served it with gingersnaps for some spice, but you can add cinnamon if you wish. You could also add 1/4 cup raisins.
Tags: arborio, dessert, rice, rice pudding, risotto
