Now, don’t get me wrong, kiddos… I love chocolate as much as the next person. But doesn’t it feel a little done for St. Valentine’s Day? Expected? Predictable? Are you looking for less typical sweet to serve your sweet this year?
But what about a spicy rice pudding that tastes of roses? Now that’s exotic. Romantic, even.
I have been curious to experiment with rose water for some time, so when I happened upon this recipe from Whole Foods, I was excited to give it a go. Even shopping for the ingredients to make this recipe was fun. I took the 6 train downtown to Kalustyan’s in Curry Hill to find my rose water and cardamom pods. If you’re ever in the city, Kalustyan’s is definitely worth a stop. The little storefront is stacked top to bottom with every sort of herbs and spices you could ever look for, innumerable varieties of rice and beans, and honey-laden baklava behind the counter.
This rice pudding recipe is definitely on the spicy side, so I was a big fan. The cardamom and nutmeg are intriguing together, but the real surprise was the rose water. I had expected that it would be heavy and cloying. Instead, it tempered the bold flavors of the spices and lent a mild floral aroma to the dish. In the past, I’ve had rice pudding that tasted so strongly of roses that it tasted as much like soap as like pudding, so I added the rose water 1/2 teaspoon at a time. I was happy with 2 teaspoons instead of the full tablespoon.
I used freshly ground cardamom and nutmeg in my rice pudding. (Despite reading the recipe beforehand, I hadn’t realized it called both for the whole and ground spice!) For the nutmeg, I used my Microplane grater, and for the tiny cardamom seeds from inside the pods, I used a mortar and pestle. The difference between store-bought and freshly ground spices is astonishing. Grinding your own is well worth the extra couple of minutes, if you have the tools.
This pudding is as much about the milk as the spices — I found 2% milk to be plenty rich for my taste. Because the milk is reduced, it’s worthwhile to pick up a fresh half gallon, so the milk doesn’t pick up any off tastes in the refrigerator.
Now I have a big ol’ bottle of rose water sitting in my pantry. Any ideas?
Clacked by Molly B.
on Feb 04, 2009 @ 13:04 EST5EDT
