Last week, I made rice pudding. I do that once in a while, much to the joy of my family (and my brother, Aaron, who happened to be visiting). But this time, I did something so crazy, so off-the-wall, that people just weren't sure it would turn out okay; and it turned out to be a brilliant success! Tonight, I'm going to share that success with you, and if you play your cards just right, you might become almost as popular as I am around these parts. But you'll be popular in your parts, of course, assuming people in your parts like rice pudding. These parts are my domain. So step away.

Here's what I did to the rice pudding (oh, aren't you excited??): I used only coconut milk instead of cow's milk. I know! YUM! The recipe is absolutely divine with regular milk, but when I put in 1/2 gallon of coconut milk instead, I totally ramped up the exotic taste factor along with the calorie count. And not only that, but I (wait for it...) sprinkled ground cardamom over the servings of those who felt a little more adventurous. Bliss. I don't know what it is, but that subtle, delicate whiff of cardamom that settles onto your palate like a flitting butterfly a moment after the creamy, softly textured pudding hits your tongue...well, it's indescribably delicious.

If you're thinking to yourself, "That's all fine and good, but not all of us are as rich as you are, Eva, to buy 1/2 gallon of coconut milk!" then I can't blame you. I did buy the milk at such a steep discount from my favorite grocery outlet that I'm worried that telling you how much I paid for it would sound like bragging of the most uncouth kind. Let's just say that I didn't spend over $2.00. I'm not made of money.

Here's the last rice pudding recipe you'll ever need. Play with it how you will, but as-is, it's perfect. It makes a lot, so share some with family and friends.

Anna's Pig-Out Rice Pudding, by Anna Tanner (I don't know Anna Tanner, but I definitely want to give her the credit for coming up with this.)

2 cups hot water
2 cups long grain rice (don't use jasmine rice. It clumps. I found that out the hard way)
1 cube butter
2 teaspoons salt

Put all ingredients in a large saucepan and boil until almost dry. Then add 1/2 gallon milk. Stir really well and turn the stove down to medium/low. Cover. Stir occasionally for the next 45 minutes to 1 hour. You'll know it's done when the rice is tender and the pudding starts to thicken a little.

When the pudding is ready, whisk together:
6 to 7 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 TABLESPOONS vanilla (yes. That's right)

Add the egg mixture to the pudding and stir to combine. The pudding should begin thickening up right away. Let the egg cook about 30 seconds or so, and then turn off the heat. Serve it hot, room temperature, or cold. You can sprinkle individual servings with cinnamon (or add a dollop of jam) if you like.

If you want to try my version, replace the milk with 1/2 gallon coconut milk and sprinkle with ground cardamom when serving.