I'll start with mentioning a certain printing method. Letterpress. It's a form of relief printing invented by Johannes Gutenberg, (yep, Mr. Famous Gutenberg Bible guy), in the mid 1400s. Movable type and images are organized into a design and inked. Then placed on a padded surface with thick paper on top and pressed down from above. The ink not only comes off the plates, but the paper also becomes indented from the strong pressure. What's left is a crisp, clear, gorgeous print with visual depth. It is beyond compare.
Of course as technology boomed mid last century and faster ways of duplicating books were invented, use of the letterpress format became too belabored, less cost effective given the growing demand for supply and expected giant profit margins, and therefore, wained. (Makes me want to cry. Yes, I am that sensitive about art.)
While searching around on etsy.com for antique prints, I was thrilled to see a resurgence of the letterpress and all the things people are doing with it today: calendars, cards, invitations, art. This one particular company, Dutch Door, made limited edition prints of state birds and flowers. As soon as I saw the Connecticut one, I knew my mom would absolutely love it. With Valentine's Day coming up, I decided I'd send her a little surprise. Plus, if I had bought it for myself and hung it up, she'd see it when she visited and just ask me for it anyway. Don't laugh. It's actually happened more than once. Nothing is sacred. (Or owned by me in any legally binding fashion.)
Once it arrived, I made a quick trip to the local craft store and found this bamboo style frame on sale for 40% off. The dark, mahogany wood was a superb contrast to the creamy white paper and botanical colors. It was an ideal match.
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| A great gift! She loved it! |
Here is a close up of the print so you can see more detail.
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| The azaleas are stunning. |
In that same line of classic traditions, there was a certain dessert that was mentioned as far back as the Victorian Age that I had always wanted to make, but was intimidated by it. I was determined to tackle it though. Be brave, I said to myself. (Over and over.) It will be SO much better than anything prepackaged you buy in the refrigerated section that was mass produced.
Ever inspired by ice cream, which now seems rote to mention, I embarked on a dessert journey. Ice cream flavor starting point: Häagen-Dazs Rum Raisin. Though I don't normally buy this brand, I wanted a flavor they were known for.
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| Good things awaited me. |
I scooped out a bowl. You know, for research purposes. (I am so dedicated, it's true. No matter the cost. People as sacrificial as me don't come along every day anymore.)
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| Top quality dessert #1. |
And now, the leap from this dessert to the next.
Rum Raisin Rice Pudding
2 cups whole milk
2 cups half & half
1/2 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup white sugar
pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean, split, scrape out inside
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup heavy cream
Chopped pistachios
The type of rice to use, I think, is the real key to it all. People make rice pudding with all kinds of grains, but I say Arborio is the only way to go. It is a short grain rice used to make risotto. And risotto is really just savory rice pudding, when you think about it.
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| Can find it most everywhere these days. |
This version came in an air tight bag. To lock in freshness. Definitely don't want moisture to get in it.
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| The block. |
I followed the directions on the box and added to water to parcook. Until aldente. About 8-10 minutes.
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| Made like any other rice. |
Once it was mostly cooked and not a lot of water was left, it was time to put in the rest of the ingredients.
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| Cooking rice, stage one. |
I added the whole milk and half & half. Along with the sugar, salt and inside of the vanilla bean.
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| Can see the bean flecks immediately. |
Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer, stirring often so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan. Cook for 25-35 minutes. You'll have to go on rice tenderness to decide when it's about done. It will slowly thicken and intensify.
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| Big bubbles! |
In the last couple minutes, a beaten egg that is tempered goes in. Take little scoops of the hot mixture, add to egg which is in a separate bowl and whisk with a fork. Repeat several times, spoonful by spoonful, until the egg is warmed and blended and then pour that bowl back into the large pan. Stir well.
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| The egg makes a great texture addition. Trust me and don't skip it. |
What you have at that point should be still a little loose, but not soupy. And the rice should be very tender.
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| All milky and fragrant with warm vanilla. |
To put it over the top though, and add the rum raisin flavor that started me on this journey, I needed to add, well, raisins and rum.
A day or two before I planned to make the pudding, I took 1/2 cup of raisins, threw them in a glass container, covered them with dark rum and snapped on the air tight lid. (As alcohol evaporates quickly, so you have to really seal it up.) I left the container on the counter top. By the next day or so, the raisins swelled up extra plumpy from absorbing nearly all the rum. It is a wonderful way to rehydrate dried fruit with concentrated flavor. If you didn't want to use alcohol, you could add orange juice, but then you need to place it in the fridge.
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| Can also do this days ahead. They last. Can add to muffins, pancakes, ice cream! |
Once the rice pudding was fully done, I threw in the raisins and any remaining droplets of rum. That was also when I added the heavy cream for the final finishing richness.
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| Resembles the ice cream from earlier. |
I poured the bulk of it into a glass bowl and added a piece of plastic wrap on top, lightly pushing it down to cover the entire top. This prevents the surface from getting a yucky skin. I put the lid on that and into the fridge it went.
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| Big bowl!! |
I also put some in an individual container for a friend and wrapped it up the same way. So either works the same.
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| Portion for one. |
In a few hours, it was well cooled and ready to eat. The rice continued to absorb the liquid, so it thickened up even more. I wanted it just a little looser to serve, so I added a teaspoon or so of heavy cream per serving and stirred it about until I got the consistency I so deemed as perfect. I ladled some into a bowl and on top of that, I added chopped pistachios, but almond slivers would work equally as well. (That was actually my first idea, but then I changed it up. I've been known to do that. Who can predict every move of the creative process? Not even the one creating.)
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| Classic, but dressed up! |
Now, what was I so afraid of? It's pudding. Who is afraid of pudding? Someone lactose intolerant? (Oh wait, that is me. Scratch that.) It wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be. And the vanilla bean and rum work so well together, it was an easy pairing. The sweet, soft raisins and crunchy nuts added contrasting texture as well. These are the little things that can make a dessert go from good to great.
When you want to tackle something you've been putting off, as I struggle with often, I think it's best to just dive right in and accept the possibility of failure. Put some time aside specifically for the task at hand, don't be in a rush to "get it over with" and move at a comfortable, relaxed, respectable pace. Just like they would have done it a hundred years ago. If it's not perfect, you can always adjust for the next time. But if it does turn out better than you thought it would, you'll know it's because you worked it out from scratch and made a truly artisan product you can be proud of.
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