Marry Me

Growing up in Lima, there was not one girl that when playing with other friends wouldn't sign "Arroz con Leche, me quiero casar...." (Rice pudding (or rice with milk as in the translation), I want to get married....); therefore, every time a make rice pudding I think of that song.

I have NO IDEA where this song came from and/or how it got started. Why you would be singing to the rice pudding about wanting to get married at age 8 is beyond me.

I found this in google:

Arroz con Leche
This song is also a game. Children hold hands and walk in a circle around a boy who stands in the middle. He chooses a girl to be the señorita and she takes his place in the middle of the circle. She chooses a boy, etc. A version of this song may be found in Arroz con Leche, Popular Songs and Rhymes from Latin America.

Arroz con leche me quiero casar
Rice with milk, I'd like to get married,

con una señorita de la capital,
to a young girl from the capital,

que sepa coser,
who knows how to sew

que sepa contar,
who knows how to sing,

que sepa abrir la puerta
who knows how to open the door

para ir a jugar.
so we can go out and play.

I have the BEST recipe ever for rice pudding (taken from the Art of Peruvian Cuisine). Maybe the recipe is so good the little guy in the centre of the circle after trying the rice pudding decided he wanted to marry the little girl who prepared it and therefore the name? Ah, I don't think so....anyway...

Boil the rind of 1 orange with a cinnamon stick and 5 cloves in 5 cups of water. (First you must boil the orange rind changing the water 3 times). Once the water has come to a boil, add 1 cup of rice. When the rice is cooked, add 2 cans of condensed milk, 1 can of evaporated milk a handful of raisins and 1/4 cup of Porto and a pinch of salt. Let it come to a boil again. Remove from heat and add an egg yolk. Make a simple syrup with 1/4 cup of Porto and 4 tablespoons of sugar. Beat an egg white and add the simple syrup. Fold into rice pudding.

Watch out rice pudding lovers, this is pure joy from the first to the last bite. Sorry, I'm married.