A Weekend Away and Rice Pudding

I'm home from a long weekend get-away, the air has cooled, and the Santa Anna winds are ripping through the flat landscape today.  The heat is turned on in the house and I have a pot of rice pudding gurgling on the stove. 

Last week I was searching for inspiration and over the weekend I found plenty.  I had the opportunity to attend Helen's photography class and make some new friends who are also fellow bloggers. I then traveled to Las Vegas to spend some time with my Mom.  Few things are more inspiring than stimulating conversation with interesting new friends around a well-prepared table.

My Mom attended the Catersource convention in Las Vegas and was also a featured speaker.  Since I'm only a few hours away I thought it would be perfect to drive up and spend some time with her.  We attended several seminars and demos taught by caterers and also chefs.  Chef Carla Hall (from Top Chef) did a fabulous cooking demo and I laughed the entire way through.  Not only can Carla cook, but she has the most wonderful sense of humor.  Even though I'm not in the catering business, it was a blast being there and I even picked a few ideas for my own cooking. 

Early Monday morning, my Mom gave her speech and, wow, was I impressed.  She captivated the 500+ audience for 90 educational minutes and I was completely blown away.  What a thrill to see her in action! 

I'm home now and back to cooking, washing dishes, taking care of the kids and spending time with Pete.  It's great to get away and be able to come home and appreciate even the simple things once more. 

Brown Rice Pudding
I served this with cherries tossed with a bit of almond extract which made a lovely compliment.
Serves 6

1 cup brown rice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups water
4 cups whole milk
1 cup cream

3/4 cup maple syrup
1 vanilla bean
1 teaspoon almond extract

Melt butter over medium heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pot.  Pour in rice and sauté for 3-4 minutes until rice begins to turn milky-white.  Stir in water, bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, cover pot with lid and continue to simmer for 30 minutes or until the water is almost fully absorbed. 

Stir in milk, cream, and maple syrup.  Cut vanilla bean in half, scrape seeds out, and place seeds and bean in pot with rice.  Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and maintain a simmer.  Cook uncovered, for about 45 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens and a spoon is just able to stand up in the pudding.

Remove from heat and remove vanilla bean and stir in almond extract.  Pour rice into a large serving dish or individual dishes and cover tightly with plastic wrap.  Cool and serve at room temperature or chilled.