I like rice.  Ok.  Ok.  I’m lying just a little bit.  Plain rice doesn’t do that much for me.  I like rice that has a lot of flavor.  Rice is an excellent flavor delivery system.

Rice made its first entry into my memory with something my Mother made.  She called it Sloppy Chicken over rice.  It was simple and good.  She took leftover chicken and cut it into small pieces.  Next she sautéed an onion, added the chicken and put in a can of cream of mushroom soup.  Mom let this simmer for a bit while she made a pot of rice.  The rice went on the plate and was covered in the chicken sauce.  Sloppy Chicken is good food - it takes me home.

Mom also had a lot of cookbooks.  Being bored and hungry, I would browse through looking for ideas.  I spent a lot of time reading anecdotes out of her Paul Prudhomme cookbook.  I really don’t remember any of the recipes but I gained an impression of good food from that text. One of the things that stuck was etouffee.  Making a rich sauce and putting it over rice sounded tasty.  I ate my first official etouffee a chain restaurant that served Cajun food.  I can’t speak to their authenticity but I liked their dish.                           

 I have a real restaurant habit - for me, probably an addiction.  I have handed over many a paycheck to the food service industry.  My current cash flow has forced me into a strict budget - No eating out.  With little money and a desire to eat well, I resolved to make a dish of my own.  I could do it. I know a few tricks.  I went for something simple. 

Over the years I’ve learned about several types of rice:  Generic bag rice like mom used to buy, long grained Basmati, fragrant Jasmine, Arborio rice which creates its own sauce, bran coated Brown rice which cooks up chewy, and Sticky Sushi rice.  I’m fondest of the basmati but I have a budget - so its supermarket generic for me.  It’s a little sticky and can turn pasty if you don’t pay attention.  But it’s decent for making rice with sauce.

 Rice with sauce is cheap, tasty, and stupidly easy.  It does take time and you do need to pay attention.  But I like to cook and this is cooking.  So where’s the problem? 

• Two medium/small onions chopped small (I use a chopper)
• Knob of butter and then about 2-4 tbsp more depending
• Kosher salt
• A jigger of Cognac (The Good Lord knows why I have this but I do)
• Stock or broth (changing this up changes the dish but it’s all good)
• ¼ cup of flour (I don’t always use all of it. It depends on how much stock I use.)
• Rice (anywhere from half a cup to a whole cup this changes with the stock)
• Fun stuff (I hate it when it’s always the same food. So maybe I added garlic or some herbs or …I don’t know. I haven’t thought of it yet.

Put the butter in a good sauce pan over medium heat and generously salt it.  When the butter is good and frothy (even better when it gets brown if you dare) add the onions and maybe a little more salt.  (About salt - I have no idea how much I use.  Sometimes I make everything too salty.  Sometimes my food is flat.  This recipe is not precise because it doesn’t work unless you make it your own.  Use your best sense and learn through practice.)

Sauté the onions until they get brown and maybe start to stick.  You’re playing chicken with the food here and there’s more glory if you pull out at just the last possible second - of course if you miss, there’s just a big wreck. 

Add the rest of the butter - if you’re making more rice use more butter to make more sauce.  Once the butter has melted, dust in the flour (again more flour = more sauce).  Stir the mixture for a bit until the flour is absorbed and everything seems to be brown.  You can’t really mess this part up - it’s nice to have it look a little saucy but even if you end up with coated onion clumps you’ll be okay. 

Time for the good stuff.  The cognac should deglaze the pan so any yummy burned bits should become part of the sauce.  Now add the stock in batches (you might find this works better if you warm the stock up but do not boil it).  Each batch should be fully mixed in before the next. 

Once you’ve got all the stock in, let the sauce simmer until it coats the back of a spoon.  Go thicker if you want. 

By the way, make the rice while you do the sauce.  Just in case you don’t know:  Cooked Rice = amount of rice + twice as much water, bring to boil then cover and put the heat on low.  Salt the water and maybe put in a little cayenne.  Really you can go nuts with rice but, if you’re making a sauce, go simple. 

Now put the rice in a bowl and cover with the yummy sauce.  Eat.  Or you could go further.  Put the rice in a soup crock, cover with the sauce and top the crock with cheese (Mmmmm I can buy big blocks of cheddar cheap).  Put that sucker in a really hot oven and turn on the broiler.  Wait until the cheese starts to bubble and then wait some more.  When the cheese starts to get brown on top, maybe push it and wait a little more.  Dear God, when are you going to bring that thing out of the oven?!  Okay maybe take it out now.  Crusty cheese on top is worth more than lots of money.  Some money.  I mean it’s good.  

I usually use chicken stock but I can’t wait to try out fish stock.   Maybe I’ll get some money and play with shell fish.  In my current no-money state, I’ve even gotten away with just water.  This stuff is good and takes away some of my ‘need restaurant food‘ mentality.  Please send money.  Thank you.

A long, long time ago in a body many, many pounds away, I went on a hike.  It was glorious.  Raw nature surrounded me as I pitted myself against miles of Appalachian Trail.

My pack had to be light. This meant a lot of careful choices about the food I carried. Ramen noodles, beef jerky and crackers filled my days along the trail.

It rained, I got wet and ate noodles. The sun beat down, I got burned and gnawed on jerky. I saw a mama bear with her two cubs in the distance, I got scared and ate nothing. You get the idea.

I began to crave simple things. Before this trip I had read fantastic stories about hunger in the great outdoors. Bold adventurers, returned to civilization after a week or two in the backcountry, would consume whole jars of mayo. I laughed at these tall tales. No one could get that hard up. Out on the trail, in the woods, I understood.

After days of carrying my sodden pack, I arrived at a park recreation area. It was one of those stops for the tourists who found the driving too strenuous and needed a break. (Okay I’m being a little snide, but walk in like I did and see if you don’t have the same feelings.) There were hot showers, tables with benches and even a convenience store. It was heaven.

I couldn’t wait to revel in these, the least delights of civilization. I took a shower and then, clean and refreshed, I marched to the store. Inside was a glorious wonderland of packaged, processed food. There were shelves stocked with chips and cookies. A refrigerator case held wieners, bologna and cold beverages. The mere sight of the freezer full of ice cream was too much to bear. Spending my meager funds for maximum effect, I bought a bag of Double Stuff Oreos, hot dogs, and some cheese. I claimed a picnic table, deployed my camp stove and feasted. I took a bite of hot dog. I knew glory. I reveled as I ate. I opened the Oreos. The aroma brought tears to my eyes. I stuffed a whole cookie into my mouth. Bliss.

That meal ranks as one of the best I have ever eaten. Yet for some reason my refrigerator is not permanently stocked with franks; my pantry is not clogged with Oreos; my house is not made of cheese. Today, I find hot dogs generally okay. I can eat a few Oreos every once in a while. Cheese is good but it doesn’t rock my world (ask me about burnt crusty cheese bits later). Truly, I learned that hunger is the best sauce.

But I have to think that my joy was not only inspired by my famine. Familiarity breeds contempt and I had forgotten how good food was. I’ve eaten the best steak. I’ve had amazing seafood. I’ve enjoyed fabulous ice cream. To my great sadness each of these splendors loses something with repetition.

Each time I eat, my appreciation wanes. Rich flavors slowly fade. To compensate I try larger portions (my chipmunk cheeked face stuffed full of Starburst) or more intense varieties (hot sauce - don’t ask me about Tabasco shooters). Perhaps for a moment I get the original wonder of my first taste. But it isn’t repeatable. Once again, the flavor fades and with it my joy. I always want that first bite again.

It takes events like that hike to make me realize the obvious. Enjoy the everyday. Don’t strive for each dish to be a wonder. Sometimes a meal is just fuel. Go for variety. Try different dishes - maybe, when you finally come back again, your favorites will be renewed. Yes, yes steak is good, but not every night. The same goes for barbecue and… the same goes for everything.

Maybe I need to go hiking again.

Rules

I believe that there are rules. Little things like - it is a crime to cook prime beef past medium rare. I like this video of Josh Ozersky. He’s got his hamburger rules down. (h/t AHT)

St. Patrick’s Day

The supermarkets are swimming in corned beef. It’s on special, I’m Mr. Cheap Shopper, and I’m going to stock up. But - uh, what do I do with all of it?

Tots for Tots

How did you learn about alcohol? Experimenting with friends? At a dorm party? Or did Mom and Dad show you the way?

Horseradish - Yes!

How to Cook Like Your Grandmother’s perfect follow up to How to Roast Beef.

Cheap Eating

I love a good pot of beans and I’m stretching my money right now so this article hits the spot.

Probably Not Historically Accurate

I’m sure this Jimmy Kimmel Live video posted over at Serious Eats is everywhere now but it’s too funny not to link. God bless whatever twisted mind came up with this.

Here’s what’s for lunch today: Some of the smoked chicken from yesterday, slices of fresh baked bread made this morning along with some spiced up beans and cheddar.

Pringles are my favorite flavored chips - probably because they’re so processed to start with. Over at The Impulsive Buy is this review of a new variety. They look tasty and I’m looking forward to trying a tube.

Here’s a very interesting article about eating fat. Read all the way through and you’ll see that there may be some science to the idea that eating fat is healthy.