Aromatic Rice (for Good Moods)

You can gauge my mood by paying attention to what I'm reading and eating. Happy, fun memoirs or serious classic novels and smoothies for lunch? I'm hunky-dory! Plath poems or self-help books and lots of buttered noodles? I'm sinking into depression.

Depressive moods also mean that I re-read books that make me think about life...like Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things. I particularly love her poetic language. For instance, she describes one character as "Thirty-one. Not old. Not young. But a viable die-able age."

I feel that way about myself these days. I am almost forty-four...not old, not young, but a viable die-able age for sure. My mother died suddenly of a heart attack when she was forty-seven. Just three years older than I am now.

One of the other refrains in the novel is "things can change in a day." Roy writes "a few dozen hours can affect the outcome of whole lifetimes. And that when they do, those few dozen hours, like the salvaged remains of a burned house -- the charred clock, the singed photograph, the scorched furniture -- must be resurrected from the ruins and examined. Preserved. Accounted for.''

I know firsthand how things--whole lives--can change in a day. I've learned that lesson more than once. When I read that passage, I think about--overthink, really--my past. I examine ruined relationships and try to figure out when it all changed, so that I might prevent another sad ending.

And then I eat an entire pizza. Or fried chicken tenders and Nachos BellGrande. Or pretzel chips dipped in Country Crock.

Yep. That was my week. Don't judge me. Nothing major happened...I just found a dead, stinking mouse in the pantry (so gross) and had to take my pup to the vet for stitches (so expensive) and felt left out/unwanted/unneeded (so dumb). 

When I get sad, when I worry that everything will change in a day...when I feel like everything is awful (even though I know they are not), when I feel completely alone (even though I know I am not), when I cry myself to sleep (even though I have no real reason to)...I need something else to focus on. That's when I'll cook myself a comforting meal.

This week, I needed something restorative yet light (because it's a bazillion degrees out and I cannot eat any more pizza or tacos or cheesy pasta), so I made this...

"A fragrant, healing bowl of rice"

Recipe from Appetite by Nigel Slater

Interestingly seasoned with whole spices and flecked with chopped herbs, a bowl of rice is the perfect antidote to almost any kind of overindulgence you can think of. Food to soothe and revive.

Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Casserole

I have food nostalgia. I often crave foods from my childhood...freshly-picked green beans cooked to death with ham and potatoes; icebox dessert made with layers of graham crackers, chocolate pudding, and whipped cream; canned potatoes fried in butter; bologna sandwiches with American cheese and yellow mustard; kielbasa and sauerkraut; macaroni with hamburger and tomato sauce aka goulash; salisbury steak TV dinners with the brownie that was so hot it would destroy your mouth; an all green St. Patrick's Day supper (see above)...not because they are delicious dishes, mind you, but because they remind me of good times...of family meals around the dining room table or special occasions when we got to eat off of tray tables in the living room. I'm such a sappy sucker.

Disclaimer: I still buy individually-wrapped Kraft singles. AND I AM NOT ASHAMED.

One of the dishes I think about often is a broccoli rice casserole that my mom used to make a lot. She'd thaw a frozen brick of chopped broccoli in the microwave, then mix it with a can of cream of mushroom soup, a jar of Cheez Whiz, and a couple cups of Minute Rice...which was all nuked until bubbly.

I loved this stuff. It is what passed for "healthy" at our house. Broccoli and rice, yo.

But, alas, I haven't eaten anything made with Cheez Whiz in like 25 years...because now I know better.

Anyway, when I came across a "blast from the past recipe" on Pinterest that reinvents this classic casserole with quinoa instead of rice and shredded cheddar instead of Whiz, I knew I had to try it.

Y'ALL. I was not disappointed. This is so reminiscent of Mom's casserole, yet without so many crappy ingredients.

I was hesitant about all the reduced-fat shit, but it works here. And the leftovers heat up well without the oily separation that usually occurs with such cheesy baked things.

Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Casserole

recipe adapted from Eating Well...Living Thin

No pics of the finished dish, as we were having family dinner in the living room while we watched Game of Thrones. 

Hoppin' John

2015. Finally. FINALLY. I couldn't wait to get through the holidays, for the past year to end. I was ready for a fresh start. And, so far, the new year hasn't disappointed. 

After 3 months of heartache, depression, anxiety & anger, December ended up being a pretty great month. I started dating a new guy. Nick is simply amazing...kind, funny, understanding, generous, handsome, and dead sexy. See?

I'm a goon, but he's cute.

And another...because WE are cute together.

I'm seriously smitten with him. Like whoa. 

We spent Christmas evening and New Year's together. We ate caviar with champagne and had a shrimp boil for Christmas, we had charcuterie and more champagne for New Year's Eve, and I made Hoppin' John for dinner last night. I love cooking for him. He loves hanging out in the kitchen with me. 

Did I mention that I'm smitten? Seriously.

Anyway...I'd been wanting to make a recipe from Chef Sean Brock's beautiful new cookbook Heritage ever since I met him in October at a book signing/tasting dinner in St. Louis. I've said it before: He is just so damn adorable. See?

There's that silly fangirl look again.

I figured this recipe, the first in the book, was the perfect way to begin my new year...one that promises to be full of love, fun, adventure, and hope.

Lowcountry Hoppin' John

slightly adapted from Sean Brock's Heritage

Stovetop Rice Pudding for Emergencies

Dinner tonight was some kalamata olive hummus (via Trader Joe's) with pita chips and a bowl of stovetop rice pudding...something warm and soothing on this cold and dreary pre-election evening.

Rice pudding is traditionally made by either cooking raw white rice and sweetened milk in the oven for a couple hours or cooking the raw rice and milk on the stove, then slowly adding beaten eggs and sugar. I've even seen recipes that call for simmering cooked white rice with milk and spices.

Those recipes have never appealed to me. Rice pudding as always ranked low on my dessert spectrum, right below tapioca pudding. I just don't want chunks in my should-be-smooth-and-creamy sweets. That is, until I saw Nigella Lawson's version.

Nigella, people. That means that this rice pudding is probably the sexiest rice pudding you've ever seen.

The Domestic Goddess's recipe is essentially a sweet risotto (which seems to make a lot of culinary sense to me). Caramel-coated arborio rice is cooked slowly with warm milk gradually added and finished with heavy cream and vanilla. I sweetened mine with honey (instead of sugar) and threw in some spiced rum-soaked raisins at the end.

Stovetop Rice Pudding for Emergencies

recipe & photo from Nigella Bites

Nigella Lawson writes: "For those days when you just can't wait the three hours for proper, old-fashioned rice pudding, this is what you need. In fact, it's just a sweet risotto, with warm milk substituted for the stock. This does mean that the rice takes longer to cook--and what's more, you want it rather less al dente than is usually desirable--but it's the best I can offer. Anyway, you can't, on eating this, resent one moment of your stoveside-stirring captivity."

2 3/4 cup whole milk

1 heaping tablespoon unsalted butter

2-3 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup arborio rice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)

2-3 tablespoons heavy cream

• Heat the milk (on medium-low heat) in a pan that preferably has a lip, which will make pouring easier (or give it a couple of minutes in a plastic or glass measuring cup in the microwave). When it's about to boil (but don't let it), turn off the heat. 
• Melt the butter and a tablespoonful of the sugar in a heavy-based pan. When hissing away in a glorious pale caramelly pool, add the rice and stir to coat stickily. 
• Gradually add the milk (I added 1/4 cup at a time), stirring the rice all the time, and letting each swoosh of milk get absorbed into the consequently swelling rice before adding the next bit. 
• To see when it's ready, start tasting at 20 minutes, but be prepared to go on for 35. You may want to add more milk, too (and if the rice tastes cooked before all the milk's absorbed, don't use all of it).
• When the rice feels as it should, thick and sticky and creamy, take it off the heat and beat in another tablespoonful or more of sugar (or honey), the vanilla, and as much of the cream of you like. Think of this as the mantecatura: the final addition to a risotto, to thicken and add fat-globular volume, normally of butter and grated Parmesan; indeed just add butter if you haven't got any cream in the house.

Serves 1, according to Nigella. But, it's easily enough for 2.

Rice Pilaf

First, a little announcement:

So...last week, this here blog o' mine was chosen as a finalist for a Riverfront Times web award (along with some of my food-centric friends). Stephanie Tolle (aka Iron Stef), one of my bestest buddies & fellow Food Blog Mafiosa, won the Best Food Blog award. I'm so happy for her; she definitely deserves the honor.

And now, I give you a little story about rice pilaf:

I've been wanting to recreate dishes and meals from my childhood...things my family used to make, like Grandma Martin's cabbage rolls & Grandma Green's chicken noodle soup & my mom's vegetable beef stew.

My immediate family wasn't very big...just me, my younger brother, my dad & mom (who passed away 15 years ago). My mom only had a sister & two brothers, the oldest of whom had two sons. I always considered my family to be small. 

But, last month I watched a DVD of old home movies that my dad made for me. Most of the silent 8mm videos were of Christmas mornings...my brother & me in our PJ's, with wild bedhead, unwrapping our gifts, surrounded by family members...grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins. I was surprised to see so many people at our house on Christmas mornings, especially my mom's extended family. There was my great-aunt Anna Mae with her kids. There was my grandfather's brother, too, with his kids and his grandkids. I hadn't realized what a large--and close--extended family I had growing up.

One of the most vivid memories I have of Aunt Anna Mae is of her making rice pilaf for family gatherings. Specifically, I can picture her opening the oven door & pulling out sheet pans full of toasted rice & pasta. I remember not really liking the pilaf then, but a few times in the past several years I've tasted dishes (like Sopa Seca de Fideo) that remind me of the rice pilaf flavor...and I like it now! I think it was the browned butter that was a bit too rich for my young palate.

Paella

Between end-of-the-school-year grading and dealing with other people's bullshit (I've finally decided that I'm too old for all this drama & am now ignoring those people), I haven't had time to cook. But, I'm trying to remedy that. So, a couple Sundays ago I invited my friend Stephanie (aka Iron Stef) & fellow food blog mafiosa over to get busy in the kitchen.

We decided to try paella, which neither one of us had made before. Initially, I thought this would be a difficult--but welcomed--chore, but it turns out that paella is fairly easy...it just involves several steps. I also thought that it would be expensive to make, with all that seafood (mussels and clams and shrimp). However, it was a lot less spendy than I thought...the shrimp were $9.95 a pound, while the mussels and clams were each only about $5 a dozen. (St. Louis folks: I bought all the seafood at Bob's Seafood at 170 & Olive).

Cooking During a Recession & Eating Black Truffle Risotto

The only food blogging session at the BlogHer conference last weekend was about food blogging during a time of recession, which I didn't attend but read online. At dinner on Friday night, Elise of Simply Recipes asked a few of us what we would like to hear about during the discussion. I couldn't really answer, because I don't have a strict budget for food. I splurge when it comes to eating. It's pretty much the only thing I really spend money on. In fact, I made black truffle risotto for a weekday meal last week (recipe below).

But, if black truffles aren't in your food budget (they are not in mine either; one was given to me by a friend) or you don't have time to stir risotto, you don't have to sacrifice when it comes to eating well. All you have to do is plan your meals, shop smart, and take just a tiny bit of extra time to prepare healthy, tasty dishes for you & your family.

1. Stay away from pre-packaged meals and those meal-in-a-box things. They are expensive! It really doesn't take that much longer to make your own. For example, instead of buying that boxed mac -n-cheese, simply boil & drain some macaroni. Return it to the pan with a bit of butter, a handful of shredded cheddar cheese, and a splash of milk. Stir until the cheese is melted. That doesn't take any more time than making the boxed stuff. It's so good...and so much better than powdered cheese sauce.

2. Buy whole chickens & cut them into pieces yourself. Freeze parts to use later. Or, better yet, roast the whole chicken & use the leftover meat for a second meal (soft tacos, maybe). Not into chopping & roasting? Try chicken thighs...they are less expensive yet more delicious than boneless/skinless breasts.

3. Buy fresh veggies. If you only grocery shop a few times a month and worry about fresh food spoiling before you use it, buy frozen veggies instead. They are both better tasting--and cheaper--than canned.

4. Canned beans are fine to use, as is canned tuna & tomatoes. Jarred marinara sauce is okay, too.

5. Make soups or baked dinners (and bake bread) on the weekend, then eat them during the week.

6. Use a crockpot. Fill it before you go to bed, store in the fridge overnight, then in the morning set it to cook while you're at work. There is nothing better than coming home to find dinner ready & waiting for you! Check out A Year of Slow Cooking for recipes.

7. Encourage your kids to eat what you're eating. It gets pricey making separate meals for picky kids. If you have small children who are just eating solid food, start them out eating real foods (steamed & mushed veggies) instead of baby foods.

8. Most importantly, cook as a family. Make dinner time a special time that you spend together. It will make cooking seem less like a chore. Give your older kids a night each week when they have to plan & cook a meal.

Or, if you're like me...believe that since there is nothing more important than the foods we eat and feed to our loved ones, it is worth time and money to give them the best meals you can make. This is why I made black truffle risotto for Jerad last week. He is worth my time.

Black truffles smell rich and only slightly earthy...like chocolate.

Black Truffle Risotto

4 cups chicken stock

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small white onion, finely diced

1/4 teaspoon truffle salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup risotto rice

1/2 cup dry white wine (I used Chardonnay)

1 black truffle, thinly sliced

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated *

* It's imperative that you use a good quality Parmesan that you grate yourself. Don't skimp here. Homemade chicken stock is nice, too (and easy to make if you save those chicken bones!).

• Heat the stock in a sauce pan over medium heat until simmering.
  
• Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion, truffle salt & pepper and cook onion until soft, stirring frequently. You don't want them to brown at all.
  
• Add the rice and cook until all grains are coated with oil. Deglaze with the white wine and cook until evaporated.
• Add in ½ cup of the hot stock. Stir until the rice absorbs the stock. Add another 1/2 cup of stock and cook, stirring frequently, until absorbed. Keep adding & stirring until the risotto is cooked through & the sauce is thick.
  
• Remove the rice from heat. Stir in half of the cheese.
• Garnish each plate with truffle slices & a sprinkling of Parmesan.

Black truffles are also delicious shaved (with a Microplane) and mixed into soft scrambled eggs.

Orange Pecan Wild Rice

Question: Is wild rice supposed to be crunchy?

I recently saw this recipe in Ina Garten's new book and wanted to try it right away, thinking it would be the perfect winter (or Thanksgiving) side dish. I followed the directions, but the rice was still pretty crunchy. It wasn't tender at all.

I also thought this dish was way too salty; it calls for mixing 1 teaspoon in to the finished rice. It was too much. I couldn't even eat it.

Overall, I was very disappoint with this...even though it sounds so good! Any suggestions to make it better?

Orange Pecan Wild Rice
from Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics by Ina Garten

1 cup wild rice
1 1/4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Kosher salt
1 cup seedless green grapes, halved
1/2 cup scallions, sliced in rounds, white and light green parts (2 scallions)
1 cup pecan halves, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• Place the rice, chicken stock, 1 1/4 cups water, 1 tablespoon butter, and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
• Cover the pot and lower the heat to simmer and cook for about 1 hour, until the rice is tender and the grains begin to burst open. Stir the rice occasionally while it's cooking, scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent it from sticking.
• Turn off the heat and allow the rice to steam for about 5 minutes.
• Stir the remaining tablespoon of butter into the rice, then add the grapes, scallions, pecans, orange zest, orange juice, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper and toss well.
• Taste for seasonings and serve hot.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Arborio Rice Pudding

Thanks to Isabelle of Les gourmandises d’Isa who chose this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe. Until last night, I'd never eaten rice pudding...though, it's something I'd been wanting to try for a while.

I was a little hesitant at first, because all of the comments on the TWD website were negative. A lot of people complained about having soupy pudding. However, Dorie herself posted this response:

Oh how I wish I’d seen this earlier. I’m traveling in Southeast Asia without a steady internet connection, so I didn’t see that you”re all making the rice pudding until a minute ago.

There’s a fatal typo in the recipe — the pudding needs to cook for 55 minutes, NOT 35 minutes. I posted this somewhere a while ago and am so sorry that I didn’t post it here sooner.

I know some of you had soupy rice instead of pudding and I’m deeply sorry.

With apologies — Dorie

Luckily, I'd read through the Q&A comments before making the pudding. As a result, I reduced the milk by 1/4 cup and cooked the pudding for about 1 hour. I wanted a thick pudding that I could eat while it was warm, instead of chilling in the fridge. For some reason, I think of rice pudding as a warm, comforting dessert.

I mixed half of the pudding with bittersweet chocolate and half with vanilla, cinnamon, & bourbon-soaked golden raisins. The vanilla version was really good! However, I didn't think this recipe was worth the hour+ it took to make.

So, next time I want rice pudding, I think I'll make it just like risotto...using Arborio rice sauteed briefly in caramelized sugar & butter, then mixed with whole milk (instead of stock)...a little at a time, letting each addition absorb into the rice to get creamy.

Sorry there are no pictures. It was after 9:00 pm when I ate the pudding, and the pictures were really horrible! Check out the other Tuesdays with Dorie bloggers for some great pics!

Fried Risotto Balls

I've always wanted to try those cheese-stuffed, fried balls of risotto. But, I never make enough risotto to have leftovers. At work yesterday, we were cleaning out the fridges to make room for groceries and I snagged some leftover mushroom & spinach risotto to make the fried balls for dinner.

I didn't really follow a recipe. I just added an egg to the risotto because it didn't seem sticky enough. Then, I put a tablespoon of rice in the palm of my hand, added a pinch of goat cheese in the middle, topped it with another tablespoon of rice, then formed it into a ball (or patty). I then coated the balls with a breadcrumb mixture (crumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt, pepper, & thyme). This, I'll admit, was a sticky mess. I found it easier to form all the balls, wash my hands, then roll them all in the crumbs. I patted the breadcrumbs into each ball to form a thick crust.

Then, I fried the balls in a couple inches of canola oil until they were deeply golden brown.

Yummy!

I only wish I had more of the cheddar cheese risotto. I bet that would be fabulous! Then, again, what isn't fabulous stuffed with cheese and deep fried?

Cheddar Cheese Risotto

It's November, and the weather is starting to cool...finally. So, that means that I can resume my quest for the perfect macaroni & cheese recipe. Last winter's clear winner was Tyler's Ultimate, which is topped with peas and bacon.

Last night, I tried Nigella's cheddar cheese risotto. While it's not exactly pasta, it is similar enough for me in that it contains all the satisfying elements of mac & cheese: starch, cheese, creaminess.

The recipe calls for a bit of Dijon mustard. I didn't have any, so I used some of Stone Brewery's Ruination IPA Curry Mustard Grill Sauce that I had in the fridge. And, on my god was it good!

Cheddar Cheese Risotto
recipe & photo from Nigella Express

Serves 2 as a main course.

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon oil (I used olive oil.)
2 baby leeks for fat scallions, finely chopped (I used a small onion.)
1 1/2 cups risotto rice
1/2 cup white wine (I think beer would work, too!)
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 cups hot vegetable stock (I used chicken stock.)
1 cup chopped cheddar cheese (I used shredded sharp.)
2 tablespoons chopped chives (optional)

• Melt the butter and oil in a medium-sized pan and cook the onions until softened.
• Add the rice and stir a minute or so, then add the wine & mustard and stir until the wine is absorbed.
• Start add the stock, 1/2 cup at a time, letting each addition become absorbed as you stir before adding the next.
• Stir and ladle until the rice is al dente, about 20 minutes.
• Add the cheese, stirring until it melts.
• Take the pan off the heat and serve immediately. Sprinkle with chopped chives, if desired.
  

Taste & Create: Bacon Fried Rice

I was paired up with Christine of Kits Chow for this month's edition of Taste & Create, a blog event in which foodies are paired up and required to cook one recipe from each other's blog, write about it on their own page, and submit pics to the T&C website.

After browsing through all the delicious looking recipes, I narrowed my choice down to two...the bacon fried rice or the sweet & sour caramelized pork spare ribs. I even bought all the ingredients for both recipes. In the end, however, I went with the fried rice.

I bought a wok last year and was excited to FINALLY be using it. I am inspired, now, to seek out other wok recipes.

The fried rice is flavorful and not at all greasy, as I worried about while I was cooking. I'm glad I picked it!

Bacon Fried Rice

Ingredients:

4 rashers of smoked bacon (I used four thick-cut slices of hickory smoked bacon)
2 eggs, beaten, salt and pepper added
4 shallots (or medium white onion), sliced thinly
Optional, a couple of tablespoons of ginger scallion oil (see recipe below)
A cup of frozen peas (or any kind of mixed frozen vegetables)
4 cups of cooked rice
2 or 3 tablespoons of oyster sauce
Sesame oil or hot chili oil
Peanut oil for stir frying

Directions:

Kelly's Note: First of all, since bacon is the key ingredient here, be sure to choose a GOOD QUALITY bacon. A lean, center-cut bacon would work well here.

• Heat the wok or frying pan and add a couple tablespoons of the oil. Fry the bacon and the chopped shallots until the bacon is cooked through and the onion is soft. Add the ginger scallion oil.

Kelly's Note: If you want the bacon crispy, fry it separately. Remove the bacon from the pan, break into bits and set aside. (Toss the bacon bits in with the fried rice just before serving). Then fry the chopped shallots until they have softened & mix in the ginger scallion oil.

• Add the eggs and fry them the way you cook scrambled eggs. The eggs should be runny. They will be cooked more later. Remove the eggs from the pan and set aside.

• Add some another tablespoon of oil and heat it. Then add the cold rice, lumps and all. Use the spatula to break up the pieces.
• Add the frozen peas. It isn't necessary to boil them first. Use the spatula to break the peas up. Stir fry the peas and rice together.
• Put the scrambled eggs/bacon/onion mixture back into the pan. Stir fry everything together.

• Add the oyster sauce and mix everything together.
  
• Sprinkle some sesame oil (or hot chili oil) and toss everything together.
  
• Dish up and serve. Add more hot chili oil to each serving, if desired.

Ginger Scallion Oil

Ingredients:
1/2 a cup of shredded ginger (or finely minced ginger)
1/2 a cup of finely chopped scallions
1 cup of peanut oil
A clove of garlic, minced
Some coarse sea salt

• Heat a small frying pan with half the oil and add the ginger, scallions, & garlic. Cook them without browning until the vegetables become limp.
• Add the rest of the oil and heat the oil for about 30 seconds.
• Add the sea salt when the mixture has cooled.
• Put the contents of the pan into a bowl and set aside.

Sizzling Rice Soup

I finally got a chance to check out the Asian market, called Seafood City, where the Rotten Apple folks buy live crawfish for their Sunday boils. It was...ahem...an experience, to say the least. After walking to the corner of the store, past the tank of live frogs (huge frogs!), you get to the tanks of live fish and bins of live crabs & crawfish. There are also two long tables with a variety of whole fish (and shrimp and eel) on ice.

I was a bit freaked out.

So, I slinked past the frogs (I am terribly afraid of frogs!) and browsed the aisles while Jerad loaded up 15 pounds of crawling crawfish. The package of "Instant Sizzling Rice" caught my eye, so I bought one to try.


The directions read: "Prepare soup stock with your favorite ingredients. Boil and set aside. Bring 3-4 cups of cooking oil to a boil. Deep fry the 'sizzling rice' pellets to a golden brown withdrawn & quickly add to soup stock. You will hear the sizzle & enjoy the flavor."

I put a quick supper soup together with some ingredients I had on hand.

Sizzling Rice Soup
with Asparagus

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup asparagus tips *
6 squares of sizzling rice
vegetable oil for frying

* You could, of course, add any veggies (or cooked meats) in the soup. It would be particularly good with mushrooms, carrots, cauliflower, and cabbage.

• Combine the broth, soy, vinegar, & garlic in a small stockpot. Boil over medium heat, then remove from heat and add the asparagus (plus any other veggies or meats you are using). Ladle soup into deep bowls.
  
• Meanwhile, heat 3-4 cups of oil in a shallow skillet. Fry the sizzle rice "pellets", turning once, until brown. This only take a couple minutes.

• Immediately transfer 2 or 3 browned rice squares to each bowl. The rice will sizzle and steam upon contact with the broth.
  

The rice had a very nutty taste that goes well with the saltiness of the soup. I'm anxious to try it again with a more substantial soup.

Teaching My First Cooking Class

I taught my first cooking class at Kitchen Conservatory last Sunday. Anne had called me on the Thursday before to ask if I'd teach her novel cuisine class so that she could attend a funeral. I wanted to scream "yes" instantly, but I was nervous because not only had I not read the book...I also had never made or eaten or even seen the main dishes she chose: Goan Style Shrimp (recipe below) and Nasi Goreng.

The novel cuisine classes are book club/demonstration cooking classes. This month's reading was Michael Krondl's The Taste of Conquest: The Rise and Fall of the Three Great Cities of Spice. According to Amazon.com, Krondl is "a noted chef turned writer and food historian" who "tells the story of three legendary cities--Venice, Lisbon, and Amsterdam--and how their single-minded pursuit of spice helped to make (and remake) the Western diet and set in motion the first great wave of globalization. "

Anne's menu featured three recipes inspired by those three cities. The Goan Style Shrimp is similar to a curry (at least, I thought it was) and my favorite dish. I liked it so much that I made it at home for dinner last night. Nasi Goreng, a spicy Indonesian rice dish that "recalls the Golden Age of the Dutch East India Company," is a tradition in Dutch households. Referred to as Indonesian Rice Table, it's served with several bowls of garnishes like roasted peanuts or cashews, toasted coconut, golden raisins, bananas, and mango chutney. Our meal concluded with Triple Ginger Bread & freshly whipped cream (by hand, because that's how I roll).

Even though I was nervous at the start of class, I quickly eased into the cooking. And, the participants (mostly regulars who come to this class each month) were very patient and kind and complimentary. They kept the book discussion going and weren't upset when the cake stuck to the pan a bit. And, they nicely ignored what a messy cook I am.

I am looking forward to teaching a few more classes in the fall. I'm scheduled to teach a series called "Cookin' the Books." Each class will feature recipes from a particular cookbook:

Sept. 14 (12:30-3:00) - The Bacon Cookbook
* Hot bacon-blue cheese dip
* Corn & bacon souffle
* Chicken, avocado, & orange salad with bacon dressing
* German bacon cookies with maple glaze



Oct. 12 (1:00-3:30) - The Kitchen Diaries
* Goat cheese "puddings"
* Red lentil & pumpkin soup
* Rosemary & pancetta chicken patties stuffed with gorgonzola
* "Very good chocolate brownies"




Nov. 2 (1:00-3:30) - Tyler's Ultimate
* Caramelized onion toast
* Curry-lime chicken wings
* Macaroni & cheese with peas & bacon
* Pear cobbler with cranberry streusel



If you're interested in taking a class, you can call Kitchen Conservatory at 314-862-2665 or register online. The fall schedule should be available in August.

And now...

Goan Style Shrimp

2 pounds shrimp, peeled & deveined
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, roughly chopped
8 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup water
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 (or more) fresh hot green chili peppers, seeded & minced
1 teaspoon Thai chili paste (sambal oelek), or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup coconut milk, well-stirred
freshly chopped cilantro or parsley, for garnish (optional)

• Combine the ginger & garlic with the water in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
• Heat the oil in a saute pan and cook the onions until translucent, about 10 minutes.
• Add the ginger-garlic paste, chili, chili paste, turmeric, & cumin and cook for a minute. Taste for seasoning. Add more chili paste if you want it hotter.
  
• Add the coconut milk and salt. Bring to a boil.
• Toss in shrimp and cook a minute or two, just until the shrimp are pink.
• Serve over rice. Sprinkle with fresh herbs (and a squirt of fresh lime juice), if desired.
  

Spring (or Summer) Minestrone

The temperature's been in the 90's. While I don't usually crave soup when the weather's warm, I DO crave fresh, healthy, light foods. And this soup really hit the spot last night.

It's the cover recipe from Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson. You'll be seeing a few more recipes from this book soon, as it's my current favorite.

Spring Minestrone
with Brown Rice

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots (or 1 small white onion), thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup medium-grain brown basmati rice, rinsed
6 cups vegetable (or chicken) stock
1 cup sugar snap or snow peas, trimmed and cut in half diagonally
8 asparagus spears, trimmed and sliced diagonally into i-inch pieces
1/2 cup edamame or green peas, fresh or frozen
salt & pepper

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, then add the shallots & garlic and saute for a couple of minutes until soft.
• Add the rice and cook, stirring, for one minute.
• Add the stock and bring to a boil. Cover, lower the heat, & simmer until the rice is just tender, 35-45 minutes.
• Add the sugar snap peas, asparagus, and edamame. Season with salt & pepper. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
• Serve immediately while the veggies are still crisp and bright.

You can add any herbs or seasonings you'd like and top this soup with shredded parmesan cheese or a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.

A Gorgeous Spring Sunday, A Delicious Spring Lunch

I made my first risotto last fall, but was not 100% satisfied with the results. I think I used too much rice, which expanded in the pan until it was so full I could barely stir in! The final product was risotto with a tad too much crunch. And, it was fairly bland.

I tried again today, using only 1/2 cup of rice and flavoring it with Meyer lemon zest & juice. It was delightful!

Asparagus and Meyer Lemon Risotto

1 cup asparagus tips
about 3 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon butter
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 cup Arborio rice
zest & juice of 1 Meyer lemon
1/2 cup dry white wine
salt & pepper
1 teaspoon fresh lemon thyme leaves
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

• Blanch asparagus in boiling water for two minutes. Shock with cold water to stop the cooking and drain well. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, bring chicken stock to a boil in a saucepan. Cover and turn heat to low.
• In a saute pan, cook onion & garlic in butter over medium heat until soft, about 3 minutes. Season with salt & pepper.
  
• Add rice and lemon zest. Stir to coat, cook for 1-2 minutes.
  
• Add wine and cook until absorbed.
• Add 1/2 cup stock and turn heat to low. Stirring regularly to make sure rice doesn’t stick to the pan, add stock in 1/2 cup additions as the rice absorbs liquid. Check the rice to see if it's done (rice should be al dente, not mushy).
  
• Add thyme, lemon juice & cheese to rice. Stir in blanched asparagus.

Risotto

In July, my friend Erin & I went to a Novel Cuisine class at Kitchen Conservatory, a small cooking school in St. Louis. These classes are a combination book club/cooking class. The July class was on Nigel Slater's memoir Toast, a collection of childhood memories associated with food. The chef prepared a meal (rarebit puffs, roast chicken, mashed potatoes, & trifle) while we discussed the book.

It was so much fun that I took Sarah there last weekend for her birthday. This class was on The Secret Life of Lobsters. Guess what was on the menu? You got it. Lobsters. Lots of lobsters. We watched as the cook made fresh lobster stock and steamed live lobsters. Then we dined on lobster risotto, lobster bisque, lobster salad, & lobster potstickers.

I was surprised at how easy the risotto was to make. I had always thought that risotto needed constant attention. Not so. The chef just stirred in some stock, then let it simmer until absorbed before adding more stock.

I had already decided to make risotto at home last week, so I took a cue from Kitchen Conservatory's recipe. I used chicken broth instead of lobster stock and mixed in mushrooms & spinach. Then, I topped it with parmesan cheese & sauteed shrimp. It was creamy, but not as flavorful as the lobster version. Though, I will try a different risotto recipe sometime this fall.