Petunia: I love eating rice pudding when I'm down. Every time I've tried making it the rice is severely undercooked, even though I've cooked it for the right amount of time. What am I doing wrong?

Katherine: Cooking rice can be deceptively simple, but rice cooks in two stages -- one when it's boiling away, but then after that, you really need to let the rice sit undisturbed for about 10 minutes before you do anything, like fluffing it. That time prevents the rice from getting grainy on the inside. I also use a rice that is NOT converted, which makes it more tender.

Lisa: I'm rice-challenged myself! I've never made rice correctly! (And I went to culinary school!) So I make rice pudding with an arborio rice, using milk and a little half-and-half and condensed milk, which adds a bit of sweetness. I usually add sweet spices like cinnamon or nutmeg, but I also like to use rosemary, which adds an interesting flavor.

Katherine: I love to add little bits of dried fruit, without the rosemary
and little bits of chocolate. Lisa doesn't agree, but that's OK!