Rice Pudding a la Fran's Restaurant

My mother was famous for her Rice Pudding at all of our family gatherings.  It was a recipe she clipped from the Toronto Star newspaper years and years ago and it is from Fran's Restaurant ... a diner that was also FAMOUS for their Rice Pudding.  If you are a Rice Pudding aficionado, this is the one for you!  Now I have eaten a lot of this dessert but only just tried my hand at making it a month ago for a do I was hosting.  It looked great until I moved the bowl.  It didn't set.  It tasted great even though it was runny.  Not good enough for my guests, so I threw it out, phoned my Sister who now has taken over the recipe from Mom, and tried again.  I am including this recipe (which is from my first cookbook Our Family Table) and I will give you some pointers.  In some cases, follow the directions exactly, in others, adjust.

Here is the page from my cookbook (along with my scribbled notes).

Before you start:
1.  ALWAYS use LONG GRAIN CONVERTED RICE.  I used Uncle Ben's.  My niece used another type of rice and it was a disaster.
2.  The recipe says simmer until rice is tender, not mushy.  That is what I did and removed it from the heat about 10 minutes earlier than the stated recipe time.  BIG MISTAKE.  When it says simmer for 30 minutes, then simmer for 30 minutes.
3.  I used 6-1/2 cups of milk.  My original try used 7 cups and it was runny.  If you need to add a bit more, then do so as the rice cooks.
4.  This recipe was from days of yore.  We didn't shy away from sugar or raw eggs.
          A:  I have reduced the sugar to 3/4 cup (not 1 cup).  If adding raisins or cranberries
                you may want to reduce it even more as these additions are sweet as well.  (I didn't add
                those)
          B:  I used 2 eggs and it gave the rice pudding a yellow tint.  My sister uses 1 egg only and
                the colouring is much bettering it turned out just fine.
          C:  Still on the egg subject, once I added the "egg mixture", I cooked it a wee bit on the stove.
                Raw eggs are not on the "safe list" any longer and I didn't want to give my guests
                salmonella.
5.  My mother never made the topping, so I don't either.  Don't really think you need it, but it is up to you.

Fried Rice

Pork Fried Rice

Ingredients:

2 Cups Short Grain Brown Rice
3 Cups Water
2 Tsp Salt

10 Oz (.3 kg) Country Style Pork Spare Ribs
1 TBSP Hoisen Sauce
2 Tsp Honey
1/8 Tsp - 5 Spice Powder
Pinch Cayenne Pepper
1/2 Tsp Salt

Vegetable Oil for frying
3 Eggs
1/4 Tsp Salt

1 TBSP toasted Sesame Oil
About 6 scallions (green onions) - slice and separate whites from greens
1-1/2 Tsp Grated Ginger
2 minced Cloves of Garlic
2 TBSP Soya Sauce
1 Cup frozen Peas, thawed

The recipe calls for "pasta boiled brown rice" which I did.  I will give you the pasta boiled rice instructions although I was not very successful with this method (I kept having to add water over and over and it took 3 times as long as stated) and in future would prepare the pasta according to package instructions and set aside to use.

Also, my grocery stores did not have short grain brown rice so I used long grain brown rice.  I would have preferred the short grain in this recipe.

Tastewise = Delicious

Instructions:

Pasta boil brown rice for 35 minutes (3 Cups of Water to 2 Cups of Rice).  Boil the water, add the rice plus 2 Tsp Salt.  Bring to a boil once again and simmer for 35 minutes.  Strain rice in a colander and set aside.  (or prepare rice according to package instructions and set aside)

Slice the Port Spare Ribs against the grain.  Cut quite thin.  Combine the Hoisen Sauce, Honey, 5 Spice Powder, Cayenne Pepper, Salt.  Add the cut pork to coat and set aside.

Scramble the Eggs in a bowl with Salt.  Add 1 Tsp Vegetable Oil to a large frying pan.  Add eggs and cook for about 1 minute until scrambled eggs are cooked through.  Set aside in a bowl.

Add 2 Tsp Vegetable Oil to Pan and add Pork to pan in one even layer.  Leave it for about 3 minutes until the underside is nice and brown, then turn and cook for about 3 minutes more on second side.  (My slices were VERY thin so it took only about 3 minutes in total to cook - 1.5 minutes each side).  Look for "browness" of slices more than sticking to the cooking time.  Repeat until all meat in cooked.  Do not over crowd and do not turn meat until the underside in nice and brown.
Put cooked meat into bowl with eggs.

Add 1 TBSP toasted Sesame Oil to pan.  Add sliced Scallion Whites.  Cook until brown.  Add Grated Ginger, and Garlic Cloves.  Add Soya Sauce.  Cook 30 seconds.
Add 1/2 of the Rice and mix well.
Turn down the heat and add the rest of the rice and 1 Cup of thawed Frozen Peas.  Heat through.  The rice is added in two batches for ease of handling.

Add the Scallion Greens and serve.