Rice, It's Ingrained In Me

So the response to my 'Red Chicken' post has been overwhelming. Everybody wants to know more. Not about the chicken though, about the rice!!! It seems I spent all of my time talking about the delicious chicken dish, but completely neglected to talk about my rice. Everyone is clamoring, "How do you do it Newtster?"

Well, I'm ashamed to admit that it's actually nothing more than Minute® Brown Rice. I know it's shocking to learn that I use an instant rice, but The Newtster grew up eating Minute® White Rice and I prefer Minute® to any other brand, with the caveat that rice was not meant to be boiled in a bag, regardless of the brand name on the box.

My meal of choice before swim meets when I was younger was a big bowl of rice with butter and A1 Steak Sauce, and it should be noted that I had the 14th best time in the Greater Richmond Aquatic League's 11-12 year old Junior Varsity Level 50 yard breast stroke in 1991. And for those of you who may doubt this claim, look no further than all of the records my brother Berkeley still holds at our pool, the Tuckahoe Village Recreation Association's TVRA Typhoons. It's a fact that all Newtons can swim fast.

In recent years though, The Newtster's allegiance shifted to another brand of rice, namely River® Enriched White Rice. This product is found locally in the Greater Washington, DC area at Shoppers Food & Pharmacy, formerly (and still as far as I'm concerned) known as Shoppers Food Warehouse. I first started buying this rice in the year before I was married because it yielded more than the instant rice, had a stickier consistency, and most importantly was cheaper. As I have recently gotten on a health kick, I decided to make a move to brown rice, and predictably landed on my old favorite Minute® brand's offering.

There is no mystery in preparing instant rice, as you simply follow the instructions on the box. The only thing I do differently as far as the recipe is concerned is add a little margarine and sea salt to the water before bringing it to a boil. If I'm feeling like it, I will substitute a little bit of soy sauce for some of the water. I think it adds a nice touch of flavor when it is cooked into the rice.

So, unless otherwise specified, you can assume that going forward any meal featuring rice as a side was prepared to my exacting standards with Minute® Brown Rice.