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.
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*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.
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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:

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.

If the potatoes are shredded or riced and pan-fried, 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

 
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.
 
 
 > THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF POTATOES
 
> THE HISTORY OF POTATOES

[2] Russet Burbank potatoes (photo © Williams Sonoma).

[3] Cherry tomatoes, delicious year-round (photo © Barilla).