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| 23 May 2004 - IMBB? Around the World in a Bowl of Rice
Yes, you guessed it, that glorious time is upon us once again -- time to enjoy and indulge in the Is My Blog Burning? (IMBB?) culinary extravaganza. For those of you who don't know, IMBB? is a world-wide internet cooking and baking experience, originally instigated by the brilliant Alberto in February of this year, with the opening festivity’s VIG (very important gastronomy) being Soup. The second event rolled out a month later with Clotilde’s Tartine edition, and Renee hosted a spring-inspired Cake Walk in April. This month Pim is graciously hosting the party, aptly titled “Around the World in a Bowl of Rice"...the theme being…you guessed it – RICE. Until Friday I was completely unsure as to what I wanted to make. I had asked my mom, S., my sister...a few friends and a couple of strangers for their favourite rice recipes. Most people looked at me as though I was crazy ("rice? doesn't that come in a box?") and then gave me their favourite risotto or rice side-dish recipe. While risotto was really very tempting, perhaps something nice and creamy with seafood and saffron...it just wasn't right. You know when you find the perfect, quintessential recipe for something and it clicks? That is what I was looking for...the click. Growing up, rice was not something I thought about. It was simply there. And my mother, honestly, did not make the best rice. Considering she only (I mean ONLY) buys Uncle Ben's Converted, you shouldn't expect a wonderful rice dish. She does however make a mean rice stir fry with veggies, eggs and loads of soy sauce. I considered making that, because I can remember eating it since I was a child, but it would never taste the same, and I am all for the idea of exploration in the kitchen. I hauled out my cookbooks. I skimmed through my mom's cookbooks. I wandered around the internet, aimlessly searching for the elusive "click". By Friday I was cooked...and my rice dish wasn't. I considered giving up and just indulging in everyone else's entires...but then, the sun shone though the clouds and all was about to be good once again in The Domestic Goddess's kitchen. (Back story: After reading Alberto's glowing review of Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé I mentioned to S. how much I wanted this cookbook.) On Friday, in a rather surprising and gallant gesture I was presented with this very cookbook from him as a gift. Of course, S. is a lover of all things chocolate and the book is (I'm sure) partly a gift for him...but I was so surprised and really quite tickled. I read it cover to cover that night and, turning onto page 125 I found the proverbial click I had been longing for. Chocolate Rice Pudding. According to Hermé:
Topped with Caramelized Rice Krispies and with my own addition of a brûléed top, this was a succulent, light, delicious pudding dessert; perfect to tuck into on the cool, rainy evenings we seem to be saddled with lately.
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