European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 12, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse I Oil a americans finally Are catching on to Rice by Linda Giuca the Hartford courant if Bonnie Lublang has her Way race will grab the popularity that pasta has enjoyed in the last decade. Quot Rice is the pasta of the 90s,&Quot says Lettang coauthor with Joanne Lamb Hayes of Rice Harmony books $ 11. Quot we be always had Rice on he Side of the plate. But now we re moving it into the americans Are beginning to nine in to Rice As a nutritious Low Cost carbohydrate something other cultures have known for a Long time. Quot i Don t think that americans have thought of Rice As a main Staple Quot Leblang says Quot but 50 percent of the world has Rice As its Staple diet Quot dietary recommendations that Call for increasing the amounts of Complex carbohydrates americans eat have put a new emphasis on pasta bread whole grains and All types of Rice. Ethnic dishes such As Arroz con polio Paella Jambalaya and Chili Combine animal proteins with a lot of Rice. Although Leblang says that with a few exceptions any Rice can be used for any culinary purpose some types Are better for certain recipes than others the key is the amount of starch in the Rice. Quot Short Grain Rice is Ideal for sushi or Rice balls where you want the Rice to stick together Quot she says. Risotto and Rice pudding Are two other dishes that Benefit from the starch Ness of Short or medium Grain Rice. A Good reason Tor using a Shorter Grain Rice in a refrigerated dish is something called Retro gradation which primarily affects . Long Grain Rice. Quot have you Ever had cooked Rice that became hard in the refrigerator a Leblang asks. Quot in the refrigerator the Rice releases its moisture and becomes hard again Quot to counteract the effects of refrigeration Sprinkle leftover Rice with a couple of Tablespoons of water before reheating. Too Many americana think of Rice As a Sticky Mushy unappetizing mess. But anyone can make perfectly cooked Rice Leblang says. Just carefully measure both the Rice and the cooking liquid a during cooking Don t stir the Rice Leblang advises. Quot stirring will release the starch that makes the Rice and done to lift the top of the pot for a peek at the Rice a you la Only release the steam. Cooking time will depend on the Type of Rice. Brown Rice for example needs to be cooked longer than White Rice. Certain ingredients mixed with the Rice May affect the Way the liquid is absorbed. If using a food High in acid a such As Tomato or Orange juice a you May need extra liquid to produce a properly cooked Rice. Leblang of Hamden and co author Hayes of new York City went to Texas the Home of the Usa Rice Council and Rice researchers and growers to learn about the Grain. Leblang says that Rice Fields resemble wheat Fields with the Rice clustered at the top of the Shaft. Rice is also grown in Louisiana Arkansas and California. Besides the common White and Brown varieties the wow Book looks at aromatic Rice fairly new to the american palate. Aromatic Rice contains a naturally occurring compound that gives it either a Corn or nutty Aroma and flavor the compound also found in nuts and Corn is in regular Rice but in much smaller quantities. Quot my kids say of you re making Popcorn when i m just cooking Rice Quot Leblang says. Basmati and Jasmine Are common imported varieties of aromatic Rice american grown types include Tex Mati Popcorn and wild Pecan. Although writing the Book meant testing far More than the 78 recipes that finally appeared in the text Leblang still uses Rice As an everyday Quick meal a and often makes up a new recipe in the process. Quot when in a cooking Rice i look in the refrigerator to see what s there Quot she says. Quot ill saute an onion add a Pepper and then add the Rice to coat it with Oil i look to see what liquid i have a Tomato juice fruit juice Broth or wine. Then ill season it to whatever mood in a for dinner guests Leblang likes the idea of a one pol Nee dish because of the Cost and the ease of preparation. Quot Rice is the perfect vehicle for entertaining Quot Leblang says. Quot you can control the Cost of the ingredients you add add a salad and bread and have a perfect Leblang says she often uses parboiled a that is converted a Rice when entertaining. Quot you Don t want to be constrained to serve the Rice when the Rice is done Quot she says you can hold a medea Rice i \ i \ it Sticky. A the following recipes Are from Rice. And Ouye Jambalaya is a great party dish and Leblang swear s that a dish of the Rice pudding which they personally delivered to the publisher of Harmony books clinched their Book Rice salad 2 cups water 1 cup White Rice 6 Tablespoons Olive Oil 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed Lemon juice 1 Teaspoon dried oregano leaves i Teaspoon i on Mustard Pinch Salt freshly ground Black Pepper to taste 2 Large Ripe tomatoes peeled seeded and diced about 2 cups i Pound feta cheese crumbled 3a cup sliced pitted Black olives preferably imported a cup chopped fresh Parsley bring the water to a boil in a 2-quart Saucepan Over High heat. Add the Rice stir cover reduce the heat and Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until All the liquid is absorbed and the Rice is tender. Remove from the heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. While Rice Cooks prepare marinade in a medium bowl whisk together the Oil Lemon juice oregano Mustard continued on Page 16 Baltimore Sun Gino loll Tel an Annapolis chef prepares risotto a creamy Taflan Roca dish. The Long and Short of Rice Loi Tim a to Sava Tima follow tha old chinese Rule for cooking Rice cover the the Roca la cooked properly Whan tha liquid Haa bean absorb and and remove from Haat and allow tha cooked Rice to stand. Than fluff it Rice with water to a depth of one knuckle joint. Steam Holaza appear. A i a Fork before serving. By Joan Drake los Angeles times even 1holigh americans Don t eat As much Rice As people in other countries a Only one tenth As much As in the far East for instance a we do use it in Many ways. Rice shows up not Only As a Side dish but As an ingredient in soups casseroles salads and desserts Rice is free of cholesterol Low in sodium non allergenic readily digestible and reasonably priced. To assure you get the most irom this Gram it s necessary to understand some Basic information and follow a few cooking guidelines. All Rice can be broken Clown into three types a Long Grain a Rice that is Long and slender in shape As much As four to five times greater in length than Width. When cooked the grains tend to remain separate and Are Light and Fluffy. A medium Grain Rice that is plump in shape but not round. When cooked these grains Are More moist and tender than Long Rice. A Short Gram a Rice that is Rounder in shape. Short Grant Rice tends to cling together when cooked. When any Type of Nee is harvested it has a non edible Hull or Husk that surrounds the Kernel. Depending on How the Grain is milled the final form can be parboiled sometimes called converted Brown or White Rice to produce parboiled Rice the rough Gram is subjected to steam pressure. Then the Nee still containing the inedible Husk is deed before being milled. Tins Gelatin izes the starch and ensures a separateness of the grains parboiled Rice takes a Little longer to Cook than regular White Rice after Quot Shelfer Quot machines Are used to remove the Hull the result is Brown Rice with bran layers still surrounding he Kernel Pale Brown m color it has a Mac or frequently described As nutty and a texture that is slightly chewy or Crunchy. Brown Rice is higher in fiber and Oil Content it takes longer to Cook and requires More water. As the Rice expands during cooking the outside bran coating explodes and the bran adheres to the Rice Grain. When Brown Nee is Quot milled Quot machines rub the grains together under pressure and the bran layers Are removed by abrasion. The result is White or polished Rice. Much of today s White Nee is enriched meaning certain vitamins and mme Rais a including Iron niacin thiamine and in some cases Vitamin a Riboflavin and Calcium a Are added to replace those lost during milling. There Are thousands of varieties of Nee grown around the world. Those most often found in american markets include Basmati a a Rice variety that originated in the Foothills of the Himalayas. It has the Aroma of buttered peanuts a nutty flavor and Fluffy texture. Tex Mati a a hybrid of Long Grain and Basmati that is grown primarily in Texas. Its Rich flavor and Aroma Are similar to Basmati. Wehan a a rust coloured variety developed in California. The flavor is reminiscent of roasted chestnuts Sweet Rice a an asian variety of Short Grain Rice. It is also known As Sticky or Glutinous Rice although it actually in t Sweet and does t contain gluten. It has a High starch level and a very Low level of amylose which keeps other Rice grains separate. Arbolo a grown in Italy it has Short fat grains. Most commonly used for making risotto but May also be boiled wild Rice a actually not a Rice but the seed of an aquatic grass. Originally it was gathered by american indians but now it is also being commercially cultivated. Storage White Rice will keep almost indefinitely on the pantry shelf if stored in a tightly closed Container that keeps out dust moisture and other contaminants. Brown Rice because of the Oil in the bran layer has a limited shelf life a it should be used within two to three months cooking asians Wash Rice before cooking stirring it with their fingers until the water runs Clear washing enriched Nee is not recommended however because it removes the dusting of thiamine Niam and Iron added after Ping a heavy bottomed Saucepan with a tight fitting he is recommended for cooking Rice. Generally speaking the larger the quantify of Rice being cooked the less water proportionately is required older Nee requires More water Long Grain Rice More than Short Grain Rice. The chinese Rule for cooking Nee is to let attic water cover the grains by a depth of one knuckle joint since hand sizes vary it May be better to use the figure of slightly More than one Inch. There Are Many variations but one technique for preparing what the chinese refer to As steamed Rice to bring the water and Rice to a boil Over medium heat boil one minute then reduce the heat to Low comr the pan and simmer the Rice 18 minutes Rice is cooked when the liquid has been adsorbed and there Are steam holes after cooking allow the Rice to stand covered seven to 10 minutes uncover and fluff with a Fork before serving the american method Lor cooking Long Grain Rice to to place two cups of Walcer in a Saucepan Hung to a boil then slowly stir m one cup of Rice when the water returns to a boil cover the pan and simmer about 15 minutes until the Rice is tender let stand covered five minute before serving As already noted when thiere Are no directions on the package Cook parboiled Rice slightly longer increase water and cooking time for Brown Rice and use less water when cooking medium Grain Rice. Test Rice Lor oneness by squeezing a Gram Between your fingers. It is cooked when you Don t fee a hard Core when the grains Are splayed out at the ends the Nee is overcooked. If the Rice is done but the liquid has not been absorbed uncover the pan and place Over Low heat for a few minutes until the liquid evaporates. You can also dram the Rice return it to the pan and loss with a Fork Over Low heat when the water has boiled off and the Rice is not yet tender Sprinkle a Small amount of water Over the Rice Ltd n i continue cooking Rice May be cooked ahead or leftover Rice May be stored in the refrigerator up to two Days to re float a Sauth lightly in butter or Margarine tossing and fluffing with a Fork Asil warms a place the i it o m the trap of a double a of Jirik m with a few drops of water then Flum the Nee with a Fork a it treats Over s Rome Reg water a to reheat ruse cooked without any Lul wrap m a Damp Kitchen Towel place in a colander arid lower into a pan with a Small amount of simmering water in the Bottom the wafer should not touch the colander cover the pan and steam rhe Nee several mules until heated through Page 14 a the stars and stripes Friday june 12, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 15
