Heading back to work Friday was tough – on one hand, there was no need to slather myself in SPF 100 – on the other, there was no sun, no catamaran, and no scheduled pineapple break.  One way to remind myself of just how delightful Costa Rica was was to fix a snack my Tica dive master ate after time under the water.  Arroz con leche, essentially tasty rice pudding, crosses multiple Latin cultures, and each is a little different.  This recipe is inspired by the arroz con leche I tried sitting in a hammock chair last week, a taste that mimicked the happy union of horchata and a lime daiquiri.

Centenario doesn't always go with dessert, but when it does, it is delicious.

Arroz con Leche

• 3/4 cup rum (in this case, Centenario from Costa Rica)
• 1 1/4 cup water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 star anise
• peel from 1 lime
• 1 Tbs lime juice
• 1 cup rice
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 teas ground nutmeg

Bring rum, water, cinnamon, star anise, lime peel and juice to a boil in a 3 quart pot.  Add rice and stir. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 10 minutes.  Add milks and nutmeg, Simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently until rice is soft and cooked through, about 20 minutes.  Mixture should thicken slightly, but still be rather liquidy.  Remove from heat and pour into serving bowl and refrigerate at least 2 hours until cool.  Enjoy!