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  In recent months, we have experienced a resurgence of eating grains of all kinds. We've noticed a growing desire for both brown rice and white rice (always popular for Risotto and Paella) to create many styles of dishes. But we've also seen a growing popularity of other types of rice - what we call "rice with character." How many rices are there? Tens of thousands - some speculate maybe hundreds of thousands. There are so many rices there is a place called the International Rice Research Institute! At any given moment, ChefShop.com, has about a half a dozen to a dozen types of rice on hand. The beauty of rice, or any grain for that matter, is that it is still relatively inexpensive. Even the exotics are well within everyone's budget. In an effort to get you to try some rice that's nice, we're exposing you to a category that you may have forgotten. A good rice is like no other; it's a staple that can make or nullify a good dish. Creating rice dishes is often very easy, yet the culture of cooking rice can be much harder. Growing up I watched my Mom make rice for more meals than not. And on the rare occasion that we got to eat out, it almost always meant Howard Johnson's for clam rolls, or Chinese food with lots of rice. So, I learned a lot about good (and bad) rice. As scientific as some would like the kitchen to be, the "art" of making white rice is best done by feel. Your favorite pot, (or even rice cooker,) your selected type of rice, and your knowledge of how the water will boil and change as the cooking time progresses make for the perfect rice. No amount of perfect measuring or battery of timers will tell you when to turn the stove down, or when to deem the rice ready. It is all best done with feeling.  In Hawai'i, rice is offered right along with french fries and potato chips as an option. When making white rice, even without the nifty pot my Mom had, I use a method passed down from generation to generation. First, I wash the rice at least five times, (okay, maybe I only do it 2 to 3 times now, as all the healthy parts of the rice are on the surface) in the selected rice cooking pot. I then add cold water to the depth of the rice in the pot. This means the water is above the rice to the same depth as the rice in the pot. I use a finger as my gauge. I find the depth of the rice by sticking my finger into the rice, mark it with my thumb, and then move my finger up to the top of the rice and make sure the water is to where my thumb is. This is almost fool proof, regardless of pot dimensions. Or better yet get a smart rice cooker! Bring water to a boil, and reduce heat to a simmer as soon as it foams - shortly after boiling. When the rice is done and has absorbed all the water, you can "fluff" it with fork or flat wooden spoon. My grandmother used chopsticks to fluff her rice - which brings up how my grandmother made rice. She did it the same way - though she rarely washed her rice more than once. She also liked to burn the rice on the bottom of the pot. She never disturbed the burnt rice when fluffing it with her chopsticks. Once done and all the rice had been moved to a serving bowl or eaten, she added hot water to the pot and had "rice tea." Rice tea was her favorite part of having rice. See the recipe section below for some ideas for what to do with this versatile grain... perfect for babies when made wetter, and perfect for a salad when made dryer... a vehicle to help clean a pan filled with steak crusties, or to soak up the juices of a savory stuffed tomato. Enjoy!
 Blueberry Extra Jam from Hawksheadtry it you'll like it pricing Bursting with blueberries - not diluted with any other fruit; they're a full 49% of this "extra" jam's contents - this favorite from England's Hawkshead Relish Company makes a stellar addition to your jam selection. And it's a hit with kids, too.
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| Recipes of the Week |
| From Go Home, Cook Rice, by Joan Namoong. One of our favorite cookbooks, found in a Hawai'ian bookstore... |
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Rice and Vegetable Salad
Mom's Congee Recipe (rice soup) Asparagus Risotto |
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