rice – Page 4 – Oswald Rivera

Category: rice (page 4 of 4)

The Color of Rice

My friends marvel when I serve them rice pilaf or yellow rice dishes. Invariably they ask: what colors the rice? It’s a complex question, depending upon the dish. Fragrant colored rice has been in my culture since the beginning. It was the Spaniards who got the method from the Moors, when the Arabs introduced saffron as a flavoring and coloring agent in Southern Spain. Saffron is still the best thing around—but it’s expensive. If you can afford it, more power to you. All you do is add a few strands of the stuff to the rice while it’s boiling to get that great arroz amarillo (yellow rice) hue.

My parents came from the Greatest Generation (as it is called by some). So, during the Great Depression, they and their fellows developed equitable shortcuts to using safron (which they couldn’t get and, even if they could, they couldn’t afford it). Below are easy, ready to use alternatives that give rice whatever color you want; and also add to its flavor. I’ve used these alternatives, at one time or another, depending upon my financial condition, and it’s given me a marvelous rice dish every time.

Achiote – This is simply annatto seeds cooked in vegetable oil or olive oil. It’s our favorite product for coloring food. You can find it in most supermarkets in 8-ounce jars. Annatto is the pulp of the tropical tree Bixa orellana; and annato dye is used in coloring some cheeses. To prepare: just cook 1 tablespoon annatto seeds in 1/2 cup olive oil, on low heat, stirring frequently for 5 minutes. During cooking, the oil will turn a bright orange-red. The longer the seeds steep in oil, the deeper the hue. Remove from heat, let cool, and strain into a glass jar or container. You can keep it in the fridge indefinitely. Use as you wish, from 1 to 3 tablespoons when cooking rice, depending on the color you want to attain.

Tomato Sauce and Tomato Paste – This will do when you don’t have annatto seeds. But, depending on how much you use, it will render a more reddish color to the rice. Now, experts in my family contend that tomato sauce will give a better color, while tomato paste will give a better flavor. It’s all a matter of personal preference. To prepare: cook 1/3 or more cup tomato sauce, or 2-3 tablespoons tomato paste, in 3 tablespoons olive oil. If you want to enhance the flavor, you can add 1 small chopped onion and/or 1-2 cloves finely diced garlic. When you reached desired consistency, add a couple of cups of rice. Stir to mix, add water, bring to a boil, lower heat, cover, and cook the rice as you normally would.

Tumeric – This spice is known as Indian saffron, since it’s widely used as an alternative for the more expensive saffron. You get it in the supermarket in the form of a dry root powder. It not only adds a custard-like yellow color to rice but it also impart a distinct flavor. Tumeric is extremely strong, and it gets stronger as it cooks. A little goes a long way. Be judicious in its use. As noted, it’s a powerful yellow dye, so try not to stain your apron or clothes with it while cooking. To use: just add 1 teaspoon (or more, but be careful) to two cups of rice when it comes to a boil. Cover and simmer as you normally would.

Dry mustard – That’s right, dry yellow mustard in the powdered form. I know. You’re thinking about mustard on hot dogs, burgers, etc.; but mustard, in its own right, adds great flavor and color to foods. Like tumeric, it tends to be strong. Figure it this way, you can substitute 1 teaspoon of dry yellow mustard for 1 teaspoon tumeric. Just add to rice when it comes a boil, cover, and cook as instructed.

Parsley – For green rice. Yes, it’s hard being green. But in rice it’s okay. Adds another dimension and flavor to the dish. Simple: take 1 bunch of parsley (I prefer the curly Italian type parsley), wash and chop finely (by hand, or in a food processor). Saute it in 2-3 tablespoons olive oil with a couple of finely chopped garlic cloves thrown in. To enhance the flavor you can even add a chicken bouillon cube, and (if you want) 3 tablespoons light cream. Add rice, water, and cook as you normally wood. It will give you deliciously green-hued rice.

Black Rice (Arroz con Calamares) – This is rice cooked with squid or cuttlefish. The color comes from the dark color imparted to the grains as they cook with the squid in its ink. It’s a favorite in my crowd. The trick here is that the rice will come out darker if canned squid is used. 4-ounce cans of squid in their ink can be found in most supermarkets or Asian and Caribbean stores. To prepare: saute, in 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 green bell pepper (cored seeded and chopped), 1 small onion (chopped), and 1 clove garlic (finely minced). Add 1/2 cup tomato sauce, and 1 chicken bouillon cube. Stir in 3 cans squid in this ink plus 6 pimento stuffed Spanish olives. Stir in 2 cups rice, water to cover by about 1/4-inch, season with salt and pepper, bring to a boil, and cook until liquid is absorbed (about 20-25 minutes).

There you have it, friends, different and varied ways to add delicious color to your rice dish. Experiment, see which one you like best—and enjoy!

Fried Rice

May 10, 2010 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

Nothing speaks to us more of what we consider “Chinese” cuisine than fried rice. Problem is, it ain’t Chinese, it’s an American invention. It’s part of that overall catchphrase of what in known in the trade as “Chinese-American” cooking. Think of chop suey, egg foo young, chow mein, etc. They did not originate in China. The were invented in the good ole U.S.A (just like fortune cookies). And it all has to do with the Cantonese influence on American cooking.

Large scale immigration from Canton in southern China to the U.S. in the 1800s assured that this Americanization of Chinese cooking would take hold. The Chinese immigrants who flooded to California to work on the Pacific Railroad were constrained by the lack of authentic ingredients and vegetables that had represented their diet back home. They had to make do with what was available. Not only that, if they went into the restaurant business they had to make their dishes palatable to Western tastes. It’s amusing to think that someone from the Chinese mainland would come to this country and go in search of genuine American chop suey, chow mein, or fried rice.

Fried rice is a very easy dish to make. All you need is rice. And there’s an argument here. Some people swear that genuine fried rice should be done only with the sticky Chinese style of rice or something like Nishiki premium grade rice (I know, it’s Japanese, but some consider it of better quality). I cook fried rice with the good old long grain variety such as Carolina brand or even Uncle Ben’s. That’s what my friend Eddie Hor, of late memory, always used. This is his recipe.

It should be noted that, in some fried rice recipes, the eggs are cooked along with the rice. Eddie would cook scrambled eggs separately and then add the eggs to the rice. Also, one can use light soy sauce or dark soy sauce if you want a darker color.

You can add other ingredients to this basic recipe, and make it vegetable fried rice, or shrimp
fried rice, or whatever (you can even cook it with Spam). Be creative, let your imagination reign.

BASIC FRIED RICE

4 tablespoons peanut oil or olive oil (I prefer the olive oil)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Ground black pepper to taste
4 cups cooked rice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1-2 scallions, or as many as desired, washed and coarsely chopped

1. In a wok or frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat and add the eggs. Cook, stirring, until they are lightly scrambled, seasoning with pepper. Remove the eggs to a dish and set aside.
2. Clean out the wok or pan with paper towels. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and, when hot, add the rice. Stir fry for a few minutes over medium-high heat, using chopsticks or a wooden spoon to evenly cook the rice.
3. Stir in the soy sauce and scallions. When rice is heated through and has achieved desired color, spread the scrambled eggs over the top. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings.

Coconut Rice Pudding for Epiphany

January 5, 2010 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

We are coming up on January 6th, which is the time where in the Spain, the Caribbean, and Latin America, they celebrate the Epiphany. This commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ and the visitation of the three Magi, or Wise Men from the east. These three royal wise men or kings were Melchior (representing Europe), Gaspar (Arabia) and Balthazar (Africa). They brought gifts, respectively, of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus. The day is Known as El Dia De Los Reyes (the Day of the Kings); and it is also sometimes called EL Dia De Los Reyes Magos (The Day of the Three Royal Magi).

Traditionally, just like at Christmas, children receive gifts to commemorate the day. In Puerto Rico, in the old days, it was customary for kids to fill a box with grass or hay and put it underneath the bed. This was for the camels that the magi rode to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, following the star that led them there. You left the grass or hay so that the Wise Kings would be generous with their gifts. The custom is similar to kids in the U.S. leaving out milk and cookies for Santa Claus.

In Louisiana, Epiphany is the beginning of the Mardi Gras season, with the revels and parades the citizens of New Orleans are so familiar with.

In our culture, a traditional dish for the holidays, inclusive of Epiphany, is Arroz con Dulce (also known as Arroz con Coco). It’s a coconut based rice pudding. The normal way of preparing it involves using ripe coconuts, extracting the coconut milk, grating and using the coconut shreds to enhance the liquid used for cooking the dish. It’s great but time consuming. If you don’t have coconuts around, it perfectly alright to substitute coconut cream or milk which can be found in almost any supermarket these days. If you want the original recipe, check it out in my cookbook, Puerto Rican Cuisine in America (Perseus Books Group). Otherwise, just follow the condensed recipe given below.

ARROZ CON DULCE (Rice Pudding)

2 cups rice (either long grain or short grain)

2 cups coconut milk

1 5-ounce can evaporated milk

1 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup seedless black raisins

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon butter or margarine

1/2 cup cracker crumbs

1. Place rice in a saucepan with water to cover and let stand at room temperature for at least 5 hours or preferably overnight.

2. Drain rice, place in a pot or saucepan and add 1 cup of coconut milk, evaporated milk, cinnamon, cloves, salt, vanilla, raisins, 1 cup sugar, and butter. Cook on moderate heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, for 1/2 hour or until rice is tender.

3. Add second of coconut milk and remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Stir to blend. Cover and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.

4. Spoon into a round serving platter or pie plate.

5. Sprinkle with cracker crumbs and allow to cool at room temperature before serving.

Yield: 10 servings or more.

Hoppin’ John – A Southern Tradition

December 30, 2009 / Oswald Rivera / 0 Comments

In my first foray down south, years ago, I discovered a traditional New Year’s ritual: Hoppin’ John (or Hopping John, for all you uppity types). Southern lore has it that Hoppin’ John is the birthright of every southerner. And it’s a double edged sword. See, Hoppin’ John is the dish that everyone south of the Mason-Dixon line must have on New Year’s day. It ensures continual good luck for the coming year. Skip it and you risk damnation and an accursed 365 days to come. If you don’t eat Hoppin’ John on January 1st, well, all bets are off.

I’ve taken this fable to heart. I partake of Hoppin’ John every New Year’s day. What is consists of is black-eyed peas and rice. Some variations have the beans and rice cooked together. I prefer cooking them separately, and serving the black-eyed peas over the rice.

I assume there are as many Hoppin’ John recipes as there are southern cooks. Most call for ham hocks, country ham, bacon, or ham steak added to the peas. I use ham hocks, which gives the dish an earthy flavor. So here follows the Rivera family version of a southern favorite. By the way, how the dish got its name, I have no idea. If anyone out there knows its history, please let me know.

HOPPIN’ JOHN

1 pound dried black-eyed peas

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium ham hocks

1 large onion, sliced into rounds

1 red or green bell pepper (pimento), chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 tablespoon oregano

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 chicken bouillon cube

4 cups water

Cooked white rice (3-4 cups)

1. Preparing the peas: initially I would soak them overnight in water, drain, and cook the next day. I’ve discover that a more convenient (and better way) is to cover the peas with water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for 2 minutes. Then remove from heat, cover pan and let stand 1 hour. Finally, drain peas, rinse well, and set aside.

2. While peas are are being done, rinse ham hocks under cold running water, and pat dry. In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil and sear ham hocks until browned. Add water just to cover ham hocks, bring to a boil, partly cover, lower heat and simmer ham hocks until tender (about 45 minutes).

3. Add peas, onion, pimento, garlic, oregano, bay leaves, salt, hot pepper sauce, bouillon, and water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer until beans are tender (about 45 minutes).

4. Serve over white rice or, if preferred, you can mix the cooked rice and beans together.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Oswald Rivera

Author, Warrior, and Teacher

Category: rice (page 4 of 4)

The Color of Rice

Fried Rice

Coconut Rice Pudding for Epiphany

Hoppin’ John – A Southern Tradition

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