Rice Pudding

(TORTA DI RISO CON COMPOSTA DI CILIEGE E ALBICOCCHE) This flourless dessert is popular, especially on the Po River plain. The texture is more like that of a rice pudding than that of a cake. The compote is a refreshing partner. For a treat, uncork a semisweet Lambrusco.

(BUDINO DI RISO CON PERE E LIMONE) Since this recipe contains no milk or egg, it has a lighter texture and fewer calories than standard rice pudding.

This surprisingly rich-tasting cereal is a healthful rice pudding — for breakfast. If you can't find dried mango in your local supermarket or natural foods store, you can use dried apricots instead.

Marge Dawson of Ivoryton, Connecticut, writes: "My daughter and I went to Thali, an Indian restaurant in New Canaan, Connecticut, and had a superb meal. I have never been a fan of rice pudding, but their version was out of this world. Is there any chance you could get the recipe?"

Caramelizing the top of this pudding adds an extra depth of flavor, but it's equally delicious without doing it. A blowtorch works best here; the broiler didn't give us the uniform browning we wanted.

This is equally good served warm or cold. If you prefer it cold, begin preparing the dessert well ahead so that it has time to chill.

A healthy take on an old favorite.

Chai tea spices — ginger, cinnamon, cardamom — flavor this delicious pudding.

Arroz con Leche Mexican cooks prefer Ceylon cinnamon, a less pungent variety than the cassia cinnamon sold in U.S. markets. In Latin American markets, it will simply be labeled canela (Spanish for "cinnamon"). In supermarkets or specialty foods stores, look for Ceylon or Sri Lanka cinnamon.

This must be made in a deep, oven-proof earthenware (lead-free) bowl to have its special rich taste!

If rice pudding is getting a little too comfortable, try our version with fresh pineapple, mango, and papaya. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 30 min

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Cooking rhubarb to the right consistency is trickier than you might think — it changes from barely tender to falling apart in a matter of seconds. Watch it carefully while it's poaching. In this recipe you’ll need to boil the rhubarb syrup to the "soft-ball stage." To determine this, just drop a small amount of syrup into a cup of cold water. If you can form it into a sticky lump that flattens when pressed, it has reached the right consistency. This technique is especially useful with small amounts of syrup, from which it can be difficult to obtain an accurate temperature reading with a thermometer.