Rice Pudding

Rice pudding may differ by country and region but typically consists of some form of rice, milk, and sugar. In Indian kitchens, you’ll find kheer (or payasam), a rice pudding made with basmati rice, milk, or coconut milk, that is flavored with cardamom or other spices. In many Ashkenazi kitchens, rice pudding took on the form of rice kugel and was cooked in a frying pan. In former Soviet countries, rice pudding is called molochna risova kasha and is simply prepared with rice, milk, and sugar. In Turkish kitchens there’s sütlaҫ, a rice pudding made with rice flour that is served at weddings and holidays. In North Africa, and throughout the Middle East, you’ll find malabi (or mhalbiya/muhallebi), believed to be derived from sütlaҫ, it is a pudding made with ground rice or rice flour that is flavored with rose, orange, or geranium water. Portuguese-speaking countries call their rice pudding arroz doce, and in Spanish-speaking communities, you’ll find arroz con leche flavored with cinnamon or anise. Persian cooks have sholeh zard, a golden saffron-infused rice pudding made with rice or rice flour, that is aromatically flavored with rose water, cardamom, and other spices. Here in the States, you’ll typically find rice pudding made with milk, sugar, and studded with raisins.

This recipe for rice pudding is rich, silky, and deeply vanilla flavored. I recommend using good quality Arborio or short-grain rice, as it offers a firmer and creamier texture in the pudding; but you can substitute Arborio for long-grain rice. Whole milk and a little half & half make this pudding decadent and silky, but you can substitute whole milk for reduced-fat milk for a lighter and slightly less creamy pudding. For a non-dairy version, substitute the milk with full-fat canned coconut milk, and the rice pudding will be just as creamy, but with added coconut flavored. Using a vanilla bean provides a special kind of decadence to this rice pudding; if you can’t get your hands on a whole bean, you can use vanilla paste or extract in its place. You can keep your pudding plain, or add raisins or toppings. I like mine with citrus for a hit of acidity and brightness; and I drizzle date syrup on top just before serving, for an extra molasses-like hit of sweetness. Rice pudding can be served warm or chilled. However you like to eat or serve this pudding, it’s addictively comforting.

Vanilla Bean Rice Pudding

Serves 4

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 40-45 minutes

Ingredients:

• ½ cup Arborio or short-grain sushi rice

• 3¾ cup whole milk (or substitute with low-fat milk, or coconut milk)

• ¼ cup half & half, or milk

• 3 Tbps sugar

• ½ a vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla paste, or substitute with 2 tsps pure vanilla extract

• Pinch of salt

• 2 Tbsps raisins or currants (optional)

Toppings:

• Citrus segments or berries

• Date syrup

Directions:

Rinse the rice well. In a medium pot, combine the rice, milk, half & half, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Split the vanilla bean, scrape out the seeds into the pot, or add the vanilla paste, and stir. If using vanilla extract, do not add it at this point. Bring the mixture up to a boil, and lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally so the mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Once the liquid has reduced and the mixture is thick and creamy, remove the pudding from the heat. Stir in the raisins and vanilla extract if using. Allow the pudding to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving or chilling.

You can serve rice pudding warm or chilled. Top with a drizzle of date syrup and citrus segments if desired.

Classic Banana Pudding

I have a soft spot in my heart for classic American food: meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, biscuits, mac n' cheese, all kinds of pie (especially chocolate cream pie), and banana pudding. I have a sort of false nostalgia for these foods. In my Russian immigrant house growing up, we rarely saw any dishes that could be featured in a Norman Rockwell painting or on a typical Southern table. It wasn't all borscht and pirozhki (although certainly I saw those things more than fried chicken or hamburgers), both my parents were and are adventurous cooks, but they veered more into Mediterranean, Italian, and Chinese directions when they prepared food that didn't exist in the motherland.

I don't think this sentimental affection of Americana has to do with filling an empty void of some childhood I wish I had... it's just that when I think of these foods they evoke feelings of warmth, youth, and family. Growing up, I ate these foods at friends' houses with glee. I read about these foods in my favorite childhood books, saw these dishes being served in my favorite movies and TV shows, and watched them being prepared on PBS and the Food Network. Most importantly, classic American dishes are so often comforting in their richness and belly-filling qualities.

I can't advocate for the nutritional benefits of banana pudding, but sometimes you just need a mood-boosting plate full of something delicious. Sometimes, special occasions demand a little indulgence. Sometimes, your favorite sports team loses the big game and you need something to ease the pain of loss. Sometimes, you just want vanilla pudding mixed with bananas and 'Nilla wafers.

The pudding recipe for this dessert is infinitely interchangeable (and if you haven't made homemade pudding before it's much easier than you think and you will be thrilled with the fruits of your minor labor). You could make just the pudding and call it a dessert. You could add vanilla wafers to the pudding and skip the banana (or vise versa). But when you combine the pudding, the wafers, the bananas, and you let that all sit and soften and meld together in the fridge... well, very good things happen.

Banana Pudding
Serves 14-16 (this generously fills a DEEP 9 x 13 casserole dish, you can easily halve the recipe)
Slightly adapted from this recipe in Bon Appétit (June 2014)

For the pudding-

8 eggs

1 1/3 cups sugar

½ cup cornstarch

8 cups whole milk (you can use low/non-fat, but this is a treat and whole milk tastes better)

1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise and seeds scraped out with the back of a knife (or substitute 2 tablespoons vanilla extract)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

pinch of kosher salt

To assemble-

1½  11oz. boxes vanilla wafers, plus extra for crushing

6 ripe bananas, sliced

½ cup banana chips (optional)

For the pudding-

In a large bowl, start by whisking your eggs until they are just blended. In a large pot combine the sugar and cornstarch and whisk together. Over medium heat, slowly whisk the milk into the sugar mixture. Add the seeds from a vanilla bean to the pot (if you are using vanilla extract instead, you will add the vanilla later). Whisk continuously until the mixture is warm to the touch, but not quite simmering. 

Slowly add a third of the warm milk into the beaten eggs. Whisk constantly as you add the milk to the eggs; this stage is called tempering. You want to gently raise the temperature of the eggs so that they do not scramble when combined with the rest of the hot milk and are heated over the stove. Again, SLOWLY add the warm egg and milk mixture back to the pot whisking as you add. 

You're going to keep on whisking as the mixture heats over a medium flame. You want to cook the pudding until it thickens. The whisk should leave a visible trail in the pudding, and should be thick like yogurt. This will take 8-10 minutes for this amount, or 4-6 minutes if you halve the recipe. 

Once thickened, remove the pot from the heat. Add the butter and a pinch of salt to the pot. Stir until everything is just combined, the butter is melted, and the pudding is smooth.  If you didn't use a vanilla bean, this is when you add your vanilla extract. 

Using a large fine-meshed sieve, strain the pudding into a large bowl. Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap; you want the wrap to touch the top of the pudding so that it doesn't develop a thick film. Refrigerate the pudding for at least 2 hours. The pudding can be made 1-2 days ahead of time (great for parties).

To assemble-
After the pudding has chilled for at least 2 hours, you can assemble the final dish. In a deep 9 x 13 baking dish, or in a large trifle dish, start by placing about a third of the pudding into an even-ish layer at the bottom of the dish. Top the pudding with a layer of vanilla wafers, and top the wafers with a layer of sliced bananas. I added a few banana chips to this layer, too.  Add another layer of a third of the pudding, wafers, and the rest of the bananas. Top with the final third of the pudding. Garnish with banana chips and crushed vanilla wafers. You could even do chocolate shavings or a caramel drizzle if so inclined.

Let the assembled pudding chill for at least 4 hours or up to 2 days before you intend to serve it. The more it sits the more the flavors come together.