05/09/2026
One piece of feedback from Chef Michael Mina really stuck with me: I vaguely remember but it was something like this 👇
“This could’ve been a stellar dish if the rice was cooked more like a risotto.”
And honestly… he was right.
So I took that to heart and rebuilt the dish the way I wished I had executed it in the moment.
(Unpopular opinion: I hated the cheerwine 😂
& raisins in rice pudding, No offense… but to me cheerwine it tastes like Robitussin.)
So instead, I leaned into something I actually loved:
Diet Coke, sour cherries, and a touch of citric acid.
And honestly? It changed everything.
The espuma was charged in an iSi with soda and lightly set with gelatin so it had a little viscosity and texture instead of just disappearing on the palate.
For the rice pudding itself, I pushed it further toward a true risotto texture more fluid, more luxurious, more depth from condensed milk and white chocolate, while still keeping the integrity of the Carolina Gold rice so you could actually taste each individual grain. Cooking it Sous vide controls the process w/ guaranteed success
Because the biggest issue with the original dish wasn’t flavor.
It was technique & texture and seemed more of a cop out considering my pastry background.
So I asked myself:
“How do I create contrast while still respecting the rice?”
The answer became the rice chip.
I took Carolina Gold rice, cooked it, dehydrated it, fried it until puffed and crips, and finished it with cinnamon sugr. Simple. Crunchy. Familiar. It gave the dish the texture it was missing the first time around.
That’s the beauty of cooking though.
Sometimes failure gives you a clearer path than success ever
could.
Shout out to all the judges tagged in this post! If you ever make it to Montana, I would love the opportunity to cook for you again !
