Cardamom Rice Pudding

I absolutely adore this rice pudding that I adapted from the Joy of Cooking

1 cup short grain rice
6 cups milk (I've only tried this with whole milk)
1/2 tsp salt
4 green cardamom pods
2 tsp of sugar
2 T butter
Cook the rice in the milk, salt, and cardamom in double boiler stirring often. Make sure the water in the bottom pan doesn't boil off.  You'll know it is done when the rice has expanded and absorbed almost all the milk.  Take it off the heat and stir in the sugar and butter.  Serve hot and then serve the left-overs well chilled.

I love the slightly perfumy combination of jasmine rice and cardamom but if that isn't your thing, you can replace the cardamom with vanilla or lemon rind.  I also enjoy adding dried cherries in the last 10 minutes of cooking so they plump up and offer a sweet-tart counterpoint to the creamy richness of the pudding.  I ate something very like this on my mission with cinnamon sugar or good jam and enjoy that as well.