Rice Recipes
"If you give me rice, I'll eat today; if you teach me how to grow rice, I'll eat every day."
Mahatma Gandhi
Choosing Garlic: For the best flavor, select firm, heavy heads with tight skins. Hardneck garlic varieties (such as Music or German Red) offer more complexity and a cleaner heat than most supermarket softneck varieties. Preventing Bitterness: Garlic burns quickly. Add minced garlic to warm—not scorching—fat, and cook just until fragrant. Overcooking turns it harsh and metallic. Balancing Butter & Olive Oil: A blend of butter for richness and extra-virgin olive oil for aroma delivers a more nuanced flavor and prevents the butter from over-browning under the broiler. their color and freshness.
My culantro plant has gotten full & bushy in the warm, sunny greenhouse. I couldn't wait to make a batch of culantro sofrito for beans, rice, eggs and just spooning onto everything to give winter a little 'summer' spice! Sofrito is a very flavorful blend of garlic, onions, peppers, tomato, culantro, cilantro, oregano and a little vinegar chopped or pureed and seasoned to taste. I think every chef has their own recipe for sofrito. It's simply heated in oil and added to a variety of dishes to add amazing flavor.
Instructors generally start at the CIA teaching Skills 1 & 2-arguably the most enjoyable & rewarding classes in the curriculum. When you finally get moved to another class you get a sense that you're doing ok... I went to Cuisines of the America's in the CE building and enjoyed researching the history of our great country. That's where I learned about hoppin' John, pot likker, hoe cakes and grits!
This recipe is dedicated to my friend Sam, a young entrepreneur who is passionate about learning to cook (and eat). He asked me to teach him how to prepare Burritos... so I had to learn how first!
As a young CIA student, my day one job was to prepare rice pilaf in Skills One with Chef Aldo Bagna... I've always been 'math challenged' & totally messed up the ratio-my pilaf was a disaster. Fortunately I'm an overachiever & had volunteered to prepare lentils, I brought my delicious lentils up for a final grade of A & ditched the pilaf. I've been a pilaf fan ever since.
Rice & Mashed Potatoes Don't ask... this is an absolutely delicious & unique recipe I innovated with two fantastic favorites. ... it's amazing.
Growing up, I never heard of risotto or rice dishes. We ate macaroni & pasta. I learned to prepare risotto at the CIA when I became an instructor & have been a huge fan ever since.