Black rice turns dark purple when cooked.
Photo by Hannah Kaminsky | THE NIBBLE.

You may have come across black rice in a Thai restaurant as an optional side. Black when harvested, it turns dark purple from the heat of cooking.

Black rice is an easy way to add excitement to a dish, from main courses to desserts like rice pudding. And now there’s a new black rice variety from Italy.

Riso venere (REE-zoe VEH-neh-ray) is a medium-grain hybrid that has a naturally black pericarp (the outermost skin of the grain). In Italian, the name means “Venus rice.”

The variety was created by Dr. Wang Xue Ren, a Chinese hybrid specialist. It is not genetically modified (that is, it is non-GMO) but is a hybrid of forbidden rice, also called emperor’s rice, a species that has grown in China for centuries. Until the 1800s it was cultivated only for the emperor and the nobility (hence, “forbidden” to others).

The Chinese cultivars of black rice could not adapt to cold European winters, but the hybrid does well in the Lombardy and Piedmont regions of Italy. Some Americans call the new hybrid “black vernere rice” or “black Venus rice.”

The heat from cooking turns the anthocyanins* in the hull from black to dark purple. Beyond the stunning color, the whole grain rice has a nutty, sweet taste.

If you can’t find it locally, you can buy black venere rice online.

Under the brand name Tenuta Castello, an organic-certified brand, the rice is produced using artisan techniques. The grain kernels are left largely intact, without polishing or shining. The result is great flavor and texture.

Rice is a complex carbohydrate; black rice is a whole grain. In addition to fiber, the hull contains magnesium, manganese, molybdenum and phosphorus, plus 4 times as much iron and twice the selenium† as white rice. There is no cholesterol, fat or sodium.

*Anthocyanins are flavonoids, a type of antioxidant.

†Selenium is an important antioxidant: It helps to improve immune response, slow the aging processes and potentially reduce cancer risk.

WAYS TO SERVE BLACK RICE

Dramatic color is the name of the game. It is equally successful with bland colors (chicken, halibut, squid, tofu) and vibrant ones (Arctic char, salmon and shrimp). Serve it:

Black rice makes a beautiful bed for proteins, like this wild Alaskan salmon. Photo courtesy ILoveBlueSea.com.

HOW TO COOK BLACK RICE

Like brown rice, black rice contains the hull so requires a longer cooking time than white rice.

1. RINSE one cup of black rice; soak for 1 hour in a pot with 1-3/4 cups water. Do not drain.

2. ADD 1/2 teaspoon salt, bring to boil, cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes.

3. REMOVE from heat; allow to sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff and serve.

It takes longer to cook if it has not been presoaked, and less time in a pressure cooker.

Keep the bugs from your drinks. Photo courtesy Charles Viancin.

Here’s a solution for keeping insects from your drinks: drink covers from Charles Viancin.

The cold drink lid is solid; the hot drink lid has mesh inserts that allow steam to escape. They’re $7.95 for a set of two at BinkDavies.com.

The Sunflower Lid is available in five diameters from 4″ through 11-3/8″, so matching lids can protect bowls of food. The dishwasher safe, freezer-safe, BPA-free silicone seals airtight on all smooth rims for reheating (up to 500°F) and storing.

They’re a sustainable solution to foil and plastic wrap, and s nice gift to bring to the host of an outdoor party.

Hash is a mixture of foods cut into small pieces. Corned beef hash is perhaps the best known recipe, typically made from cubed or shredded corned beef mixed with chopped onions and diced potatoes. If the potatoes are shredded or riced and pan-fried potatoes, they are often called hash browns.

In less affluent households, when there was no money for corned beef, potato hash would suffice. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t delicious.

Here’s a vegetarian potato hash recipe with an optional strip of bacon for those who love their breakfast meat. Yield 4 servings, prep time 10 minutes, ready time 35 minutes, cook time 25 minutes.

POTATO HASH WITH BACON & POACHED EGGS

Ingredients

Potato hash for breakfast or brunch. Photo courtesy PotatoGoodness.com.

Preparation

1, BOIL the potatoes for 15-20 minutes in salted water until tender; drain and cool slightly. Meanwhile…

2. HEAT 1 tablespoon oil in a frying pan and fry the onion for 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and fry for another 3 minutes. Add the spinach and tomatoes and cook for a further 1 minute.

3. COOK the bacon under a preheated grill for 4-5 minutes.

3. ROUGHLY MASH the potato and mix into the onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the potato hash into 4 rounds.

4. HEAT the remaining oil in a large frying pan and fry the hash rounds for 2 minutes on each side. Top with bacon and a poached egg; serve immediately

VARIATION: If you don’t like mushrooms, tomatos or spinach, substitute diced bell peppers.

 
WANT CORNED BEEF HASH?

Try this corned beef hash recipe from Delmonico’s in New York City

Large and small meringue cookies top a bin
of chocolate chip gelato. Photo courtesy
Vivoli.it.

We were inspired by this photo from Italian gelato maker Vivoli, who decorated a bin of straciatella (chocolate chip) gelato with large and small meringue cookies.

For an easy fancy dessert, simply serve a scoop of ice cream, gelato or sorbet with airy meringues. They’re easy to make, fat- and cholesterol-free and lower-calorie than other cookies.

The classic way is to serve meringue and ice cream is to create a meringue shell or nest, known as a pavlova, a dish created in honor of the ballerina Anna Pavlova (1881-1931) during a tour to Australia and New Zealand in the 1920s. The shell could be filled with ice cream or other soft dessert and topped with berries.

But that approach is old school. A scattering of mini meringues, white and/or colored, is the way to go now.

White meringues are perhaps the most elegant, but you can tint the meringues with food colors. They can also be flavored, and you can add mini chocolate chips or chopped nuts. The instructions are included below.

MERINGUE COOKIE RECIPES

Ingredients

 
*For flavor, use 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon coffee extract, mint extract or other extract.

Preparation

1. PREHEAT oven to 225°.

2. BEAT egg whites in large bowl with electric mixer on low-medium speed, until frothy. If using a freestanding mixer, use wire whisk attachment.

3. ADD cream of tartar; continue to beat until soft peaks form. Increase speed to medium-high. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until sugar is dissolved and stiff peaks form. Beat in optional extract and food color until well blended. Gently stir in optional chips or nuts. TIP: The meringue is finished if you rub a bit between your fingers and it feels smooth. If it feels gritty, then the sugar has not fully dissolved; keep beating.

4. FIT a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) plain tip to make swirled meringues. Otherwise, drop by rounded teaspoonfuls about 1 inch apart onto 2 large foil-lined baking sheets sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Swirled meringue cookies are piped from a pastry bag. Photo courtesy American Egg Board.

MERINGUE HISTORY

The exact inventor of meringue is not known. Some culinary historians believe that meringue was invented by an Italian pastry chef named Gasparini in the town of Meiringen, Switzerland.

Others say that the term comes from the Polish word marzynka, and that it was invented by a chef in the service of Stanislas Leszczynski (1677-1736). The king was deposed in 1709 and later became the Duke of Lorraine, in France. In this story of provenance, Stanislas’s daughter Marie, who married French King Louis XV, popularized meringues in France. Her daughter-in-law, Marie Antoinette, was a great fan of meringues and is said to have made them herself at the Petit Trianon, a small château on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles where, out of the public eye, she was able to live like everyday folk. (Everyday rich folk, that is.)

But meringue may in fact be an English invention. The earliest known recipe for a “baked-beaten-egg-white-and-sugar confection” is 1604, found in a book of recipes begun then by Lady Elinor Fettiplace of Oxfordshire. Here’s more about the origins and types of meringue.

Whoever created the recipe, early meringues were simply dropped with a spoon. It was the great French chef Antoine Carême (1784-1833), who piped the mixture into fancy shapes with a pastry bag.

LOVE MERINGUE?

Check out the delicious book Meringue.

Meringue can be hard (cookies) or soft (toppings). It can be baked, poached or whipped. It can be combined with ground nuts, chocolate or any number of flavorings. It can be piped into various vessels for chantilly (whipped cream), mousse and/or fresh berries. It can create:

 
Time to start cooking!

Crispy “Greek donut holes” and honey are a
special treat. Photo courtesy Stix
Mediterranean Grill | NYC.

We wanted to make something special for Mother’s Day, and were excited to come across these loukoumades at Stix Mediterranean Grill in New York City. We thank them for the yummmy recipe.

Loukoumades are a fried-dough honey pastry popular in the Mediterranean. Deep fried dough is soaked in sugar syrup or honey and cinnamon, and sometimes sprinkled with sesame. A modern analogy is a yeast “donut hole,” but much tastier.

The name (loo-koo-MAH-dess) derives from the Turkish word lokma, meaning mouthful or morsel. In ancient Greece, these deep fried dough balls were served to winners at the Olympics; so they’re a perfect treat for a champion mom.

Loukoumades can be served in one, two or more pieces, loose or on skewers, for dessert. A cup of tea is an excellent companion. For something more elaborately with ice cream and a drizzle of honey.

These crispy fried dessert dumplings are made with yeast; the dough must rise.

 
Use top quality honey: The better the honey, the more delicious the loukoumades.

LOUKOUMADES RECIPE

Ingredients

Use quality honey: It makes a big difference. Photo by Liv Friis-Larsen | IST.

Preparation

1. DISSOLVE yeast in water and let set for 10 to 15 minutes.

2. SIFT flour and salt together. Make a hole in flour and pour in the yeast mixture. Mix gently while continuously adding warm water until a soft, sticky dough is formed. Cover dough with clean, damp dishtowel. Let the dough rise until it doubles in size.

3. MAKE the syrup: Combine the sugar, honey and water in a small pot and bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 6 minutes. Remove from high heat; cover to keep warm.

4. HEAT oil in deep fryer. Use a tablespoon to drop batter into hot oil. When batter floats and is golden and puffy, remove to drain on paper towel.

5. POUR syrup over hot loukmades and sprinkle with cinnamon.
 

FIND MORE OF OUR FAVORITE PASTRY RECIPES.

A sprinkle of parsley adds garnish glamour to
this plate of pasta. Photo courtesy Galli
Restaurant | New York
City.

We love garnishing dishes with fresh herbs: We snip them onto everything from breakfast eggs to soup, salad and sandwiches to main courses and sides. But what if you don’t have any on hand? Reach for the dried herbs and spices.

If you frequent finer restaurants, you may notice that the chef sometimes sprinkles dried herbs or spices as a garnish around the rim of the plate or bowl.

Why? It ads artistry and color as well as flavor; you can dip forkfuls of food into the garnish.

You can use fresh or dried herbs or spices, chopped nuts or seeds. How many of the following do you already have in your pantry?

TAKE YOUR PICK

Tomato soup with a very light rim garnish, and more garnish glamour in the center. Photo courtesy Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

FOOD 101: GARNISH

To garnish means to provide something ornamental; to adorn or decorate.* With food, it means something that adds flavor or decorative color. One of the classic food garnishes in America: boiled potatoes garnished with chopped parsley.

MORE WAYS TO GARNISH EVERYTHING

See our article, Garnish Glamour, for many ways to garnish both savory and sweet foods.

*In the law, garnish means to attach money due or property belonging to a debtor.

Make a pound cake even more delicious with
Meyer lemon juice. Photo courtesy
Melissas.com.

Bursting with delicious Meyer lemon flavor and a sizzle of ginger, this pound cake is delicious and easy to make for Mother‘s Day. The recipe is courtesy of Melissas.com, purveyors of fine produce.

Bake this cake in a 4-5 cup nonstick loaf pan. Serves 6.

MEYER LEMON & GINGER POUND CAKE RECIPE

Ingredients

Ingredients For The Glaze

Preparation

1. PREHEAT oven to 325°F. Generously butter pan, then flour it, gently tapping out excess. Chill 10 minutes.

2. FINELY GRIND together fresh ginger and 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor (mixture will be wet).

3. WHISK together flour, baking powder, ground ginger, and salt. Stir together milk and vanilla in a small bowl.

4. BEAT together butter, remaining 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, and zest in a large bowl with an electric mixer, until fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

Meyer lemon. Photo courtesy Melissas.com.

5. ALTERNATIVELY ADD flour and milk mixtures to butter and eggs in 4 batches, beginning with flour and mixing at low speed until each batch is just incorporated. Mix in ginger sugar until just combined, then lemon juice.

6. SPOON batter into pan, smoothing top. Bake in middle of oven until golden brown on top and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Carefully loosen edges with a knife and immediately invert cake onto a rack to cool completely.

7. MAKE the glaze. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar to 1 tablespoon lemon juice, whisking until smooth. Add more juice, 1 drop at a time, if glaze is too thick. Drizzle decoratively over top of cake. Serve with a side of whipped cream.

 
ABOUT MEYER LEMONS

Once grown only as an ornamental garden lemon and frequently found only at farmers’ markets, the Meyer lemon has slowly graduated into commercial production. Unlike its two popular counterparts, the Eureka and Lisbon lemons, the Meyer lemon has mild, sweet, juicy flesh.

Although too tart to eat out-of-hand, Meyer lemons are beloved by chefs for flavoring both savory and sweet dishes. Use Meyer Lemons as a low calorie seasoning on fish, poultry, vegetables and fruit desserts. The juice is a fresh alternative to high fat salad dressings and sauces.

As with other lemons, Meyer lemon juice retards browning on cut avocados and apples, while vegetables like potatoes, cauliflower and turnips will stay white when cooked in water accented with lemon juice.
 

SEE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF LEMONS.

Look for a small Fair Trade logo that
identifies fairly traded products. Photo
courtesy Green Mountain Coffee.

Today’s tip is to purchase a Fair Trade product. May 11th is World Fair Trade Day.

Fair Trade is a practice that seeks to aid economically challenged, small-scale farmers around the world. Many of them labor in poverty to produce the cacao, coffee beans and other crops we take for granted. Because of the “system,” they often earn less than it costs to produce the crop.

While America’s small farmers often endure severe economic hardships, American children go to school and families have access to public health care and other assistance. In third world countries, however, these “essentials” can be hard to come by. And since school is not mandatory in certain countries, many children instead work in the fields to contribute to the household income.

Why is the situation so bleak? Most small family farmers live in remote locations and lack access to credit, so they are vulnerable to local middlemen who offer quick cash for their crops, at a fraction of their value.

Through Fair Trade, farmers and their families earn better incomes for their hard work. This allows them to hold on to their land, keep their children in school and invest in the quality of their harvest.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP: BABY STEPS

Use your purchasing power to make an impact on the lives of small farmers and their families.

 
THE FAIR TRADE MOVEMENT

Certified Fair Trade products now comprise a multi-billion dollar industry, with over 10,000 products in the marketplace. Consumer demand for fairly traded products has steadily risen over the last decade, thanks to the tireless work of dedicated advocates and advocacy organizations, committed companies and student activism.

Fairly traded chocolate is delicious. Photo courtesy Divine Chocolate.

Fair Trade is a business practice that protects the environment while improving livelihoods.
The fair trade movement, which includes different certifying agencies, has a vision of a world in which justice and sustainable development are at the heart of trade structures and practices, so that farmers can maintain a decent and dignified livelihood. Read more about it at FairWorldTradeProject.org.

You’ll see different logos on Fair Trade products: There are many organizations around the world dedicated to the promotion of fair trade and its values. In North America, the leading organizations are the Fair Trade Federation (FTF), TransFair USA, and the Fair Trade Resource Network.

Internationally, the big names are World Fair Trade Organization and FLO International. Here’s more about Fair Trade certifying agencies and the logos to watch for.

Thanks in advance for pitching in this great cause.

The tall, cool Southside cocktail. Photo
courtesy Tanqueray Gin.

Yesterday we presented three of the most popular cocktails of the 1920s, including the Gin Rickey, the French 75 and the Martini. Prohibition was in effect from 1920 through 1933, so Jazz Age cocktails were made with bootleg liquor.

While President Woodrow Wilson vetoed the National Prohibition Act (informally known as the Volstead Act), his veto was overridden by the House and the Senate. Prohibition became law on October 28, 1919, as the 18th amendment to the United States Constitution. The amendment prohibited the production, sale and transport of “intoxicating liquors,” although it did not define what “intoxicating liquors” might be.

Prohibition became effective at midnight on January 17, 1920. Rather than turn America into a more decent society, it engendered disrespect for the law and the rapid growth of organized crime. By 1933, public opposition to Prohibition had become overwhelming.

Why did Prohibition become law in the first place? In the first two decades of the 20th century, America was a church-going, God-fearing culture. The Temperance Movement was instrumental in generating negative feelings about alcohol. By 1916, legal prohibition was already in effect in 26 of the 48 states.

The history lesson is over; how about some cocktails?

SOUTHSIDE COCKTAIL RECIPE

The Southside was the signature cocktail at New York’s legendary 21 Club, a former speakeasy. It’s also said to have been the favorite drink of notorious Prohibition-era bootlegger Al Capone and his gang, whose home turf was the south side of Chicago.

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. MUDDLE one mint sprig with lime and simple syrup. Add gin and shake well.

2. POUR into a collins glass over crushed ice and stir until the outside of the glass frosts. Top with soda and garnish with sprig of mint.

The White Lady cocktail—probably not a favorite among gentlemen. Photo courtesy Tanqueray Gin.

WHITE LADY COCKTAIL RECIPE

Introduced in the late 1920s, the White Lady was a variation of a gin cocktail called the Delilah, which used crème de menthe. The Savoy hotel’s barman, Harry Craddock, replaced the mint with orange liqueur and the White Lady became an instant classic. (The Savoy hotel is in London; there was no prohibition in the U.K.)

Ingredients

 
Preparation

Pour all of the ingredients into a shaker, fill with ice, shake and strain into a chilled coupe glass.

FIND MORE OF OUR FAVORITE COCKTAIL RECIPES.

A delicious spring salad. Photo courtesy
LearnToCook.com.

Make hay while the sun shines; ditto with the fleeting vegetables of spring.

What makes this a spring salad? Seasonal ingredients, including asparagus and green peas. The recipe, from LearnToCook.com, serves 4. The warm tomato vinaigrette can be used with any green salad, any time of the year.

RECIPE: FRESH PEA & ASPARAGUS SPRING SALAD

Ingredients

Preparation

1. PEEL thick stemmed asparagus about halfway up stalk. Otherwise, remove white/light portion at end of stalk.

2. SHELL the peas. Leave raw or blanch, if desired.

3. BOIL salted water in a large pot. When boiling, add the asparagus. Cook until just tender, about 5-7 minutes. Drain and immediately put asparagus into ice water bowl. Leave for a couple minutes and drain again. Lay on a dishtowel and dry. Cut the asparagus in half or in thirds. OPTIONAL PREPARATION: We steamed the asparagus in the microwave.

4. COMBINE the lettuces, chives and parsley in a large bowl. Pour up to half the vinaigrette over the greens. taking care not to drench them in dressing (less is more).

5. ADD the peas and asparagus. Toss with the salad. If needed, add a little more dressing; season with salt and pepper. Serve.
 
WARM TOMATO VINAIGRETTE

Ingredients

Fresh peas from the pod are heavenly, raw or cooked. Photo by Gaetan Lee | Wikimedia.

Preparation

1. HEAT the olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat and add shallots. Turn the heat to low and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Do not brown.

2. ADD ½ cup tomatoes and simmer 3 to 5 minutes. Add vinegar, garlic, wine, salt and pepper. Simmer another 15 to 20 minutes until reduced to a thick sauce.

3. SEASON to taste and stir in remaining tomatoes and capers.

4. SERVE warm on top of the salad.