New Food of the Month: Coconut Milk

About author / Christine Gable

Culinary enthusiast; kids cuisine and slow cooking; magazine recipe developer; professional writer. Her simple recipes are great for family dinners.

With food trends turning global, the kids and I have been spending more time exploring the international aisle of the market. This month we tried coconut milk. Sure, we’ve tried drilling, cracking and prying whole coconuts—and I’ve heard that fresh coconut milk is exceptional—but when you’re looking for a quicker way to incorporate that exotic coconut flavor without the heavy-handed hassle, try coconut milk, handy and ready-to-use in a can.

Although it’s used in many Thai, African and Caribbean dishes, I wanted the kids’ first taste of this beverage to be a bit more low-key, tied into the familiar and known. In looking for a simple dessert that the kids would like, we decided to make rice pudding. Whether warm or cool, rice pudding is one of those ultimate comfort foods that’s best homemade. Oh sure, we’ve bought the deli or refrigerator case containers when in a pinch. However, nothing can compare to a slow-simmered pot of rice pudding to end a meal or day.

Rice pudding is an ancient dish that has been eaten and enjoyed by many cultures. Many different cooks, recipes and variations have contributed to the dish we know today as rice pudding. With roots traced to Middle Eastern grain pottages, rice pudding actually has a medicinal history. Rice was once an imported and expensive item reserved only for the rich. Originally recommended as an easy-to-digest food for stomach ailments for both young and old, it was prized as a medicine and thickener in the 16th century. Middle Eastern puddings such as firni and shola are thought to date back to the 13th and 14th centuries also.

According to Rebecca Wood in The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia, coconut is a nurturing food that will build energy and body mass and soothe internal membranes. While coconut tones the heart, it is not recommended for those with high cholesterol since it contains 60 percent fat, mostly saturated. Yet coconut milk is a fabulous thirst quencher and is helpful for clearing summer heat.

Rice pudding was actually a very popular dessert when I was working at Garfield’s Restaurant during my college years. Served in an ice cream parfait glass, topped with a dash of cinnamon, a fancy dollop of whipped cream and a cherry, this simple dessert was elevated to an elegant meal ending.

And that’s exactly what using coconut milk does. It enhances rice pudding’s down-home comforting goodness. For a more exotic South American or ambrosia-take on it, add half a cup of shredded coconut or even some fruit, perhaps mandarin oranges or crushed pineapple to the recipe below. Rice pudding: still a timeless, nourishing dish.

Serves/Makes: 4

• 1 can (15 ounce size) coconut milk
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup uncooked rice
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg