Baked Rice….page 143
Masak Merah (Gingery Meat Stew) Malaysia….page 243
I have been eating out a lot lately. Lots of travel – most recently to Slovakia, before that a whirlwind east coast trip stateside – which means not as much control over my diet as I usually have. Tonight, while struggling to get through the day on just a few hours of sleep (due to a 4:30 am boarding time in Kosice) I decided that I really wanted to cook.
I do not think of myself as a picky eater. There are things that I will refuse to eat – namely anything carbonated, haggis, oysters, caviar – and things I would prefer to avoid – kiwis, beets, cilantro and pickles come to mind, but for the most part, I think I am a pretty laid-back eater. I try not to be too dogmatic where food is concerned – I eat meat, eggs, cheese. I really believe in organic food, free-range, grass-fed animals but, in a pinch, I am pretty flexible. In fact, even though I am about 97% sure that I am allergic to gluten, I still eat it in cases when it would be socially awkward or just too tempting to refuse.
However. I find lately that when I eat in restaurants I can often think of little ways in which the meal could have been slightly better. I think that taking charge of cooking at home much more has empowered me to be more critical. So I find myself thinking “could have been hotter/spicier/icier/cheesier/more well-done”. And, I am of the ilk that would only send something back to the kitchen if there was something dramatically life-threateningly wrong with the food. Instead I just sit in a mild state of disappointment, contemplating the meal that could have been and accepting the meal at hand.
But not when I cook. I like the feeling of being able to make adjustments to mirror my preferences. And I like having a hand in how things turn out.
Tonight’s double dish was great. This was possibly the best rice recipe I have ever used. Very very very easy and less of a mess to clean up than usual. Basically .5 cup of rice, 1 cup of hot water, .25 tsp of salt and .5 T of butter in a covered casserole dish in the oven at 350/180 and leave it alone for 35 minutes. The rice was perfectly cooked- not too dry and not too slimy. I was very pleased.
The Malaysian stew was nice though not particularly memorable. I did add a bit more tomato sauce as the consistency was not quite right for “boiling” as the recipe insisted. All in all, it turned out nicely – nothing I would have changed about it but not something that gets five stars.
Finished stew...just the way I like it!World's most perfect rice
The World's most perfect rice!
Emily's Extending the Table Experiment 
cool! baked rice! i’ll be telling kev about this. we’ve been eating a lot of rice lately and boiling rice is kind of… a pain in the patooty. (i’ve never used that non-word in writing… i just came out.)
i think i’m wheat-sensitive, possibly have gluten issues, but similarly eat it in certain social situations. discovered this in the past year. my body definitely functions better sans wheat.
i also avoid cilantro- it tastes like soap to me. is that your issues?
why do you avoid carbonation? just don’t like it or health issues?
kiwis, beets, and pickles… yum.
for me it would be pineapple, blue cheese, and anything too fishy. (in addition to the cilantro!)
By: sarahbuildsbridges on June 23, 2010
at 2:13 pm
Yes, you really really must try the baked rice! It was the most perfect rice I have ever cooked!
Cilantro – I just do not like it and can detest even the smallest amount in dishes. I am like the princess and the pea only the princess and cilantro!
I have always hated carbonation – I can’t understand how people can tolerate it – I find the physical sensation almost painful. But, I also find myself in social situations particularly in Africa where i have to drink Fanta, so if I have to, I can throw it back kind of like a shot 🙂
By: emilyewelty on June 24, 2010
at 8:52 pm