Here is a company that really knows rice. More than 30 years ago, RiceSelect™ introduced Texmati®, the first Basmati Rice to be successfully grown in America, and still the most popular because of its unsurpassed flavor and aroma. Now, RiceSelect, which also makes cous-cous, is offering an even wider variety of delicious rice and other dishes all grown and packaged in America, all inspired by cuisines from across the world.
The name is Rice Select but they are also well-known for their cous-cous. If you have never tried cous-cous, go for it. It is the perfect side dish or part of a main dish. Say you need a last-minute side dish—cous-cous is ready 5 minutes after you place it in the boiling water. RiceSelect™ now offers three unique Pearl Couscous items. The Israeli Style semolina pasta is toasted over an open flame. It absorbs flavors easily with a unique rich nutty flavor. The al dente buttery texture is a versatile accompaniment for a main dish and an alternative to a risotto style main dish. (Varieties include Moroccan style Couscous, Organic Whole Wheat, Original Couscous, Tri-color Couscous)
They also have three unique vegetable medleys. Each has been formulated to create a healthy, flavorful and all natural side dish. They combine bouquets of light brown rice, red rice with other ingredients such as dried corn, tomatoes, celery or carrots. The end result is an aromatic blend that is just perfect. You can replace water with broth; add tofu or chicken and you have a complete meal. There are also the new and mutli-textured and very flavorful Royal Blends-- Texmati White, Brown & Red, Royal Blend Whole Grain with Texmati Brown & Wild Rice or the Royal Blend Whole Grain with Texmati Brown & Red Rice, Royal Blend Texmati with Red Rice & Beans, Royal Blend Texmati with Red Rice & Lentils. Both are more than rice—they will be standouts on the plate.Other never-fail products are their Arborio (for risotto) and Orzo (rice-shaped pasta).
Another thing we like about Rice Select is the packaging. Each comes in a sturdy reusable plastic jar that can double as storage for any number of things—in the kitchen or out. The next time you are shopping, be selective and peruse the Rice Select offerings. http://www.riceselect.com/
. Cooks in many countries depend on rice cookers to reliably cook this staple. But, you say, you don’t need an appliance that cooks rice? Even if you are a cook whose rice always, without fail, never comes out gummy, too hard, too sticky no matter if it is brown, white or wild, keep reading. How about one that cooks not just rice but a host of other dishes? The new generation of rice cookers, which use new technology, are more than just rice cookers. Cuisinart’s Rice Plus Multi-Cooker with Fuzzy Logic Technology allows you to cook not just rice like a chef on a food network. It also enables you to artfully prepare Quinoa, Millet, Bulgur Wheat, Couscous, Amaranth and Kasha. And not just rice—white rice, brown rice, sushi rice, Black Rice, Wehani, Wild Rice. These are all grains or other foods that will bring inexpensive and nutritious variety into your menus. Quinoa? An amazing grain-like crop in the goosefoot family that is steeped in complete proteins –12 to 18%-- and is native to the Andes. You might try cooking it—there are directions for cooking this and a host of other foods.
And there is no longer any need to fear the Risotto. There is a special setting for Risotto. Remember in the film Big Night and the angst about making the perfect Risotto? Risotto doesn’t stay in a holding pattern very gracefully. It is best served immediately and an appliance like this makes the planning easier. You can figure the cooking time down to the minute so your creations are ready when you and the rest of the diners are. One rice well-suited to Risotto is Arborio [ http://www.usarice.com Arborio rice is a large, bold rice with a characteristic white dot at the center of the grain. By the way of length/width ratio and starch characteristics, it is classified as a medium grain rice. ..This rice develops a creamy texture around a chewy center and has exceptional ability to absorb flavors.]
You can also steam vegetables with the steaming insert. You can slow-cook sauces, soups, chili or stews, or you can quick-cook dishes such as Basmati Rice with Indian Spices. The Quick-Cook feature allows you to sauté ingredients in preparation for the final cooking method. Make the Irish Steel-Cut Oatmeal you never had the nerve to try for breakfast before.
The Keep Warm feature does just that, keeps the foods you’ve made in the cooker at just the right temperature.
Cuisinart’s Rice Plus Multi-Cooker is light weight, very easy to handle and simple to operate and clean. You’ll have fun trying the different recipes you will be able to easily make using Couscous, Kasha, Amaranth, Millet, etc., and oh, yes—Rice.
Here is a little more information about rice fromhttp://www.rice-trade.com/world-wide-rice-production.htmlRice is the second largest produced cereal in the world. At the beginning of the 1990s, annual production was around 350 million tons and by the end of the century it had reached 410 million tons.
Production is geographically concentrated in Western and Eastern Asia. Asia is the biggest rice producer, accounting for 90% of the world's production and consumption of rice. China and India, which account for more than one-third of global population supply over half of the world's rice. Brazil is the most important non-Asian producer, followed by the United States. Italy ranks first in Europe.
The world's major rice-producing countries - including the two most populous nations, China and India - have emphasized the importance of continuing to develop new rice varieties to guarantee Asia's food security and support the region's economic development.
Today, rice is grown and harvested on every continent except Antarctica, where conditions make its growth impossible. The majority of all rice produced comes from India, China, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Burma, and Bangladesh. Asian farmers still account for 92-percent of the world's total rice production. More than 550 million tons of rice is produced annually around the globe. In the United States, farmers have been successfully harvesting rice for more than 300 years. There are thousands of strains of rice today, including those grown in the wild and those which are cultivated as a crop.”
More, I am sure, than you ever need to know about rice. Want to know more about Amaranth? You’re on your own.
Couscous is a classic Mediterranean dish andoffers an appetizing change from other starches and now Near East has come out with a some new versions to please the palate.
Near East's Pearled Couscous with Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil has a bold yet delicate taste and smooth pearly texture and is certified Kosher. (It is also available in Basil and Herb.)
Easy to prepare, Near EastGourmet Meal Kits in Mediterranean Herb and Chicken Provencal provide the base for a nutritious and tasty meal—just add chicken or vegetarian alternatives (tofu or veggie “meats”) olive oil and water and prepare and you have the entrée for your meal. Add some vegetables and you have the dinner.
Near East offers 30 different flavors and varieties of rice pilaf, couscous and other grain dishes and there products are available in most grocery and specialty grocery stores.
These new couscous varietiesnicely and deliciously complement many entrees—or serve asa base for the main course.
