Rizogalo- Greek Rice Pudding

I made this for the first time after watching the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The constant stirring many people complain about wasn't a problem for me, as it gave me something to do while I contemplated my disappointment over not being born a Chinese warrior like Shu Lien. After a lot of stirring my rice pudding smelled great but looked really bland. I put it in the fridge and sat on the floor and waited for it to be ready. When it came time to decorate with cinnamon I used a spoon and gently sprinkled diagonal lines. When  I finally was able to scoop into it- I had discovered a whole new understanding of the subtlety of cinnamon and it's hidden flavors. Enjoy! 

Ingredients: 

1 cup of Arborio rice 

3/4 cups of sugar 

1 cinnamon stick 

1/2 lemon peel 

8-9 cups of whole milk 

2 eggs 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Cinnamon 

Directions: 

1. In a large sauce pan add your rice, sugar, cinnamon stick, lemon peel, and 7 cups of milk. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 60 minutes. Make sure you stir frequently and get the rice off the bottom so it doesn't stick or burn. If you notice the rice is becoming too dry- add 1/2 cup of milk. 

2. After about 60 minutes when you have soft rice and a pudding consistency that is not too dry or too wet, crack your eggs into a bowl. Mix a spoonful of rice into it and mix well to bring the eggs to a closer temperature so when you do add it it doesn't curdle. This is called tempering. 

3. After adding the egg, add in the vanilla extract and mix well. Cool in refrigerator for as long as you can without eating it (at least an hour!) Before serving, add cinnamon in whichever design you prefer. 

You can also use this non- egg version: 

1 cup of water 

1 cup of rice (not instant) 

8 cups of milk 

4 tablespoons of sugar 

Cinnamon 

1 teaspoon of Vanilla extract 

1. Boil the cup of water. Add the rice. 

2. Stir in 8 cups of milk. Stirring continuously at a boil.

3. Add the sugar. Keep stirring to keep from burning, don't let anything stick to the bottom. Cook until thick. 

4. Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla extract. Divide into individual bowls or large tray. Sprinkle with cinnamon.