Good morning, welcome back to our series sharing Food Holidays: August 9th, 2021. Take a look at the Holidays being celebrated today and let me know which one you most want to celebrate and why.
August 9
National Rice Pudding Day
Celebrated on August 9 throughout the United States. Rice pudding is a popular dish found in nearly every area in the world. Rice Pudding can be served as dessert or dinner.
Rice pudding recipes vary depending on the Country of origin, but typically Rice Puddings include the following ingredients: Rice, Milk or Water, Spices and flavorings. When Rice Pudding is served as a dessert, it typically contains a sweetener such as Sugar, Honey, or Syrup. Baked Rice Puddings sometimes contain Eggs.
In the United States and Canada, Rice Pudding recipes were brought by European immigrants. One of the most popular variations is made with Long Grain Rice, Milk, Sugar or Maple Syrup, Raisins, Cinnamon, and Nutmeg. The Pudding is first partially cooked in a bain-marie and then baked in an oven until ready.
To celebrate National Rice Pudding Day, treat your family to a Rice Pudding with Orange Zest and Pistachios. In a saucepan, mix 1/4 cup Rice with 2 1/2 cups Milk, Honey or Sugar to taste, and zest of 1/2 small Orange. Bring to boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 75 minutes, stirring regularly.
Remove the lid and cook until creamy, stirring. It will take about 15 minutes. Pour in 2/3 cup Cream and simmer for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 tbs chopped Pistachios before serving
Five facts about Rice Pudding:
- Hundreds of millions of the poor spend half to three fourths of their incomes on Rice and only Rice.
- Rice is the staple diet of half the world’s population.
- More than 90 percent of the world’s Rice is grown and consumed in Asia, where people typically eat Rice two or three times a day.
- Rice farming has been traced back to around 5,000 BC.
- To plow 1 hectare of land in the traditional way, a farmer and his Water Buffalo must walk 80 km.
Recipe: Rice Pudding
¾ cup Uncooked White Rice 2 cups Milk, divided ⅓ cup White Sugar ¼ teaspoon Salt 1 Egg, beaten ⅔ cup Golden Raisins 1 tablespoon Butter ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Step 1
Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan; stir Rice into boiling Water. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Step 2
In a clean saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups cooked Rice, 1 1/2 cups Milk, Sugar and Salt. Cook over medium heat until thick and Creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup Milk, beaten Egg, and Raisins; cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in Butter and Vanilla.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
