R is for Rice.

#AtoZChallenge

Rice is the word of the day.  This happens to be another staple in an Indian household.  Or Native, as it’s becoming politically popular to say.  White rice cooked mostly with tomatoes of some sort.  In soups.  Guess most of our food is cooked as soups.  Thinking that’s maybe cause it’s the only meal that can be cooked in the least amount of time, in large enough quantities to serve a large number of people.

Think it’s only been in the past few decades that our families have decreased in size.  I know our family consisting of 5 kids and 2 adults is considered large by today’s standards.  My sister has seven children, two sisters and a brother have four, I have two and another brother has one. When we were growing up, our family was a small one compared to those with a dozen children.  So, you can see why soups were a pretty popular meal.  Breakfast called for too many eggs, so scrambled was popular.  Hmm.

Now, I make rice once a week in the form of “Spanish rice.”  This is pretty much the only time I use bacon cause it’s mostly to add flavor, along with Onions.  And tomatoes.  Thinking our shopping list has changed very little since I was a child.  And I still buy it in bulk whenever I can.  Which explains why we usually have food all the time.

And my sister is the one who experiments with food.  When we were growing up, she  never wanted to cook.  She hated it with a passion.  In our house, the rule finally became the one who cooks doesn’t have to clean.  Which, of course, makes me a bit perturbed.  I find that nowadays, people are mosquitoes.  They show up to eat and then leave.  Used to be, they’d help clean.  Not now though.  Hmmm, quarrels about “slaves” come to mind.  And that might be a subject for another day when I feel like ranting and raving, venting, I think it’s called nowadays.

Any rate, my family suffered through many a burned pot of rice while I was learning how to cook this mighty popular dish. I haven’t mastered the art of cooking white rice yet.  My sister broke down and bought one of those ricers?  The machine that cooks perfect white rice, nice and fluffy, just right.  She cooked the first meal for me, one that called for thirds.  I scarfed the first one down cause it was flavored just right, mmm, butter and a bit of salt.  The second helping was also flavored in much the same way, cept it was a bit tastier.  Stood to reason, I had to check it out again.  Yep, perfect rice, every time.

Now, I think I might have to clutter up my kitchen with one of those just so I can make plain ol white rice.  Wonder if I could add raisins while it cooks?