Rice. An in-depth look. (And a giveaway.)

In keeping with our Hispanic Heritage Month, I've decided to tackle a subject that's near and dear to us. It's something that we feel absolutely passionate about.

But we Cubans are passionate about so, so many things. (Well, everything, really....but that's not important right now.)

I know I shouldn't be surprised when the mildest topics bring up so many intense and varied opinions.

Today's seemingly innocuous topic is rice.

Much to my everlasting delight, my beautiful and enormously entertaining cousin, Yllien, takes on the topic of Hispanics and Asians and Rice and Rice Cookers and a poor mook named Osvaldo.

Please enjoy. (And get some popcorn. I'll wait.)

                                        

My friend, Ana Quincoces has an entire section in her cookbook ¡Sabor! A Passion for Cuban Cuisine about rice. She even shows you how to make it old-school in a pot on the stove. (Page 82.)

I, personally, use a rice cooker. Often. Next to my pressure cooker, it's the hardest working appliance in my kitchen and is in constant use.

So now, let's talk rice.

Today's giveaway is an autographed copy of Ana's cookbook, ¡Sabor! A Passion for Cuban Cuisine.

Of course, you know that the real reason you should have this book in your kitchen is because my recipe for My Big, Fat, Cuban Family Torrejas (made with guava and creme cheese, thankyouverymuch) can be found on page 204. *takes bow*

But I digress......

Rice.

To be entered in the drawing for the cookbook, please answer one or all of the following questions:

• Do you wash your rice?
• Do you use a rice cooker or are you an old-school pot-on-the-stove-topper?
• Isn't my cousin, Ylli adorable? ;-)

I'm guessing we have a lot of rice to talk about, so let's let this contest run through the weekend. Please share it with your friends. Ask them the questions on Facebook. You'll be surprised at how much emotion rice engenders.

I will pick a winner randomly from your comments on Sunday, September 25th at 5 pm.

So, rice.....your thoughts? 

Comments

[Marta M. Darby]

In the micro? That's a trick I have not yet mastered. Although, when I had my rice mishap (cooking for 300), it was a little Cuban lady who suggested we cook small batches in the micro that saved my reputation and the rice, of course.

xoxo,
M

[Gabriela]

Hello,
Just want to begin and tell you that i love your blog. I'm Puertorican and Ecuadorian and married to a Cuban. Ever since i was young, my mother explained how it was super important to wash rice and there was noooooooo questioning. She cooks it on the stove top, so it is the same way i do today. Occasionally, i'll have my mother in law tell me about her Hitachi and how is the easiest way to make rice especially when your making a lot of it. I've considered in buying one but i'm in no rush to get it. lol

Yes, Ylli is adorable and Well Educated!

I have a question, what do you think about using white rice and parboiled rice?
i know the difference in the rice process, thanks to google, but for cooking i just don't know. is it okay to use parboiled rice for every rice meal ex. yellow rice, paella, etc?
I've always used white rice but my in law convinced me to use parboiled and i love it. In my opinion, it taste better and cooks better. I've read it has better nutrients than white rice.

Love your blog, very family oriented. Just nothing but love.

[Lillian Basadre]

I wash my rice three times. I think it takes out the excess starch and pollutants* that way. I am a nurse practitioner and when working with a migrant diabetic population in a free clinic, I had a nutritionist come in to help me teach my patients how to eat a healthy diet. She first watched the patients cook (this clinic has a kitchen). She was appalled that each and every one (mostly Mexican patients since the clinic is in Homestead) washed their rice. She mentioned to me that by doing so, we are washing out all the added nutrients. *here is where the asterisk * above gets interesting. I stopped washing my rice as a result of the nutritionist. However, a few months ago, my father who lives watching the news told me that it was reported that there were high levels of arsenic being found on rice and the recommendation was to wash the rice. Hence, I wash my rice three times. I use a rice cooker, but occasionally use the stove top method as well if I am making a small amount of rice. I am the only one in my family that loves the "raspita"! We are Cuban and rice is a daily staple in our home. As for your cousin - Adorable!