What's Cooking?

After staring intently at the stove top, I finally hear the sound I've been waiting for: water bubbling, signalling it's finally started to boil in anticipation of the rice. This recipe, for none other than Rice and Raisins, takes minimal time, effort, and ingredients. All it requires is white instant rice, evaporated milk, sugar, cinnamon, and raisins. After the water reaches a rolling boil, I dump in the rice, and cook it according to the directions on the box. I watch as it becomes a frothy cloud of foam and granules. Then, suddenly, the churning mass becomes a sponge as the rice absorbs the water and signals it is done cooking. I pour in the evaporated milk, trying to balance between enough to moisturize the rice and dissolve the sugar, and completely drowning the rice and making a soup. After the milk has been poured in, I add cinnamon and sugar to taste. I smell the aromatic cinnamon drifting upwards, making the telltale scent of this dish become more complete. Finally, I pour in raisins until satisfied that every bite will have all the components. I can feel nothing but the heat rising from the pot and the wooden handle of the spoon I'm using to stir my mixture together. One of the best things about the recipe for Rice and Raisins is that it varies from person to person. Ingredients after the rice are added to taste, rather than to fit a certain amount in a cookbook. I added all the ingredients in moderation so I could keep gradually sweetening and adding spice until I reached the ratio I desired, just as my dad does when he prepares it for me, and just as my grandma did when she prepared it for him growing up. Finally, it is finished and I pour some into a bowl. I taste an explosion of nostalgia, and remember how I will forever remember this as being something no one but my dad ever made for me, and how we would spend time together enjoying it. I taste the sweetness and the different textures, the slight bitterness of the raisins melting into the sweetness of the milk and sugar, and the spice of cinnamon. I made two cups of rice, which serves 4 people. The rest went into the fridge, and one of the best things about this dish....it's yummy whether cold or hot!