Rice

In my continual quest to identify meals of different types that I can add into my Stores meal list (see October 17 Post, “Soup for Every Occasion”), I’ve run across some information that I find helpful. Specifically, different meals require different types of rice. For instance, most Indian-type meals call for Basmati rice, something I have not added to my stores. I have a good supply of long-grain white rice, but no other kinds.

I’ve also discovered that I should probably store up Arborio rice. This is the rice used for Risotto, and it’s smaller and plumper than long-grain. Therefore, when cooked, if done correctly, you get a creamy, light, delicious product. I’ve watched enough Gordon Ramsey shows to know that creamy Risotto is a staple in his restaurants. It can also be used for rice pudding. Storing up Arborio rice and Basmati means that I can vary our rice dishes much more. Using rice twice a week, once a week by itself and once a week combined with beans, having different types of rice will provide a welcome variety, I think. Costco carries both of these products, although I think Arborio rice can be found cheaper elsewhere. I googled it and found that the site Webstaurant carries it for much less. 

I first encountered this website while searching for an industrial dicer, specifically for my bell peppers. On the way to the Beach with my daughter one time, we both needed to use the facilities. Unfortunately, we take back roads and public restrooms were not to be found. Finally, when we were considering finding a nice tree and a wide shoulder on the road, we happened into a small town that had 3 businesses. One of these was a gas station that also sold made-to-order pizza, probably the only thing in this area similar to fast food. We stopped, ran into the store looking wild, I’m sure, and asked quickly to be directed to the bathroom.

“At the back of the store, through that door, and to the right,” the guy behind the counter said quickly. He must have see the desperation on our faces or, maybe, the fluid floating behind our eyes. We ran through the door, only to discover we were in a kitchen. We looked curiously at each other and repeated the directions - to the right, the man had said. We turned right and found a door at the far end of the kitchen. Bursting through it, we found an incredibly small bathroom with a commode and a sink and filled with cleaning supplies. Apparently, this was the employees bathroom that also served as storage for bulk cleaning supplies. After dubiously scanning the scene, desperation took over. However, the door latch was broken. “Go ahead,” I told my daughter. “I’ll guard the door for you.” 

While she conducted her business, I took a good look around this very small but efficient pizza kitchen. Sitting beside the sink was a beautiful stainless steel food dicer. I played with it a little and figured out that there was a piece that you raised, attached to 2 bars, then slammed it down onto a steel screen. Whatever sat between the screen and the piece you pulled up (that had a rubber grid that perfectly matched the holes in the screen) was pushed through the grid and diced into squares. I was so impressed. It was just what I needed for my bell peppers. Instead of spending hours dicing by hand, I could just stick them on this beautiful piece of equipment and effortlessly dice them. My daughter laughed at me and my enthusiasm but, as soon as we arrived at the Beach, I began googling commercial dicers. I only found one seller - Webstaurant. They had many different models and the same one I had seen in that little kitchen in different size screens - 1/2” dices, 1/4” dices, and a few other sizes. It was a little pricey,  but once I had seen it, I couldn’t unsee it. I waited a couple of months, then bit the bullet and bought it. It sits on my counter and I love it. It’s quite tall and finding storage for it in my kitchen has been difficult, but it has made the process of dicing infinitely easier.

Since then, I have referred to this website several times. They carry bulk-sized spices and other products you would use in a restaurant kitchen, which are perfectly sized for my Stores. The only problem is the shipping costs, which aren’t cheap. But, even when adding the shipping costs, they’re still cheaper than any other store I’ve found.

I like to just window shop this Site. It’s so interesting to me to see the items they carry. I have stored up a good many flavor cubes - chicken bouillon, beef bouillon, ham flavoring, vegetable bouillon, tomato bouillon, chipotle cubes, garlic cubes, and onion cubes. Most of the meals I’ll be making in an emergency will not contain meat, but I can use these bouillons and flavor cubes to add meat flavoring into my non-meat meals. When perusing it yesterday, I found big sealed tubs of beef base, chicken base, and ham base. They also carry mushroom base and creamy base. I didn’t see any information on how long these will last, but I would think, since they’re sealed against air infiltration, they would likely last a long time, several years perhaps. I haven’t purchased any of these yet, but I’m thinking about it.

The other thing I have decided I need to buy for my Stores, and found on this website for the best price, is Gnocchi. While it doesn’t fit under the title of this Post, Rice, it is another starch that I think I need to add to my Stores for meal variety. Gnocchi is actually made from potatoes and has some flour added so it can be rolled into the appropriate shape. I love gnocchi. I have this fabulous gnocchi recipe that pairs it with a homemade red sauce that is both easy to make and delicious. I add crumbled bacon to it for my son who isn’t crazy about gnocchi. I figure he should be able to hold down anything that contains bacon. Like pasta, gnocchi is extremely versatile. You can pair it with a red sauce, like my recipe, or a pesto sauce, a browned butter, an herb sauce, or use it in soups. Versatile and filling, it will be a nice change from beans and rice for my family.

So consider varying the types of rice you have in your Stores and put gnocchi on your list, as well. You’ll be thankful to have it if you are ever living off your stored food.