Ken wrote:

> I saw some arborio rice and decided to buy it on a whim. I was
> thinking that it was the right rice to use in rice pudding, short grain
> and creamy. But when I just went on-line for recipes, most called for
> just plain rice, which would be long grain, or they specifically said
> long grain white rice. Was I wrong in thinking that arborio was the
> traditional for rice pudding? What would happen if I substituted the
> arborio for long grain white rice in a pudding recipe?
>
> The easiest solution is to just find a recipe that calls for arborio
> and follow that. It's just that I was surprised because I thought most
> of the recipes would call for arborio. One thing I did notice is that
> the long grain puddings are baked and not made on the stove.
>
> Any traditionalists out there want to clue me in?
>

Arborio rice is my preference for rice pudding. You have to boil the rice
in a bit of water for 5-10 minutes then add scalded milk and the sugar and
simmer it for about 40 minutes until the rice is tender, then temper the
eggs and add to the milk and rice. Add raisins if you want them in it.
Then you have to stir constantly for about 15 minutes over low heat until
it starts to thicken. The result is a wonderful, creamy rice pudding. It is
a lot more labour intensive than a baked rice pudding but well worth the
effort.