I’ll start with an apology because you got scammed with your weekly Tanya email. Instead, you’re stuck with me, Becky, a noted vegetable eater and one of the twisted minds behind the @nytcooking social accounts. Consider checking out our Instagram, TikTok and YouTube channels?
I would like to dedicate this platform to the light of my life: my rice cooker. I spent years coveting my parents’ Zojirushi (the song he sings when the rice is ready? That’s Mine national anthem) until I finally bought my own. It’s nothing fancy, but even the cheap 4-cup version has improved my quality of life at least twentyfold. Because, to quote my colleague Nikita Richardson, the motto is: “Money above all else, rice below everything else.” A pot of perfectly cooked rice provides meal options for days.
Yaki onigiri with pickled shiitakes is a perfect use of starchy sushi rice. The recipe, adapted by Alexa Weibel, comes from Tim Anderson’s book, “Vegan JapanEasy: Classic and Modern Vegan Japanese Recipes for Cooking at Home,” and it’s a great guide to making any kind of rice balls. Anderson’s spicy pickled mushroom stuffing is a treat, but store-bought kimchi, cooked vegetables, or any leftovers you have in the refrigerator make great substitutes. Even without filling, a crispy, miso-glazed, caramelized rice ball is a worthwhile endeavor.
Speaking of miso, Sam Sifton’s no-recipe recipe for miso-glazed eggplant with a bowl of rice is worthy of a weeknight spot. Hot, freshly cooked rice, straight from the stove, makes a cozy bed for soft, creamy eggplant with crispy, roasted edges. Throw a bunch of scallions on top (or, for bonus points, a real pa muchim) and you have my dream meal.
If the leftover rice is on its last legs (and you’ve already made enough fried rice), this can be a shortcut to stews like Melissa Clark’s Parmesan Cabbage Soup. Add the rice a little later than you would with uncooked rice, and it has the same starchy, thickening effect, creating a comforting soup enhanced with Parmesan rinds (which you can also use microwave into a crispy snack. Never stop learning!).
Parmesan cabbage soup
Check out this recipe.
One more thing!
Marian Burros’s famous plum cake recipe dates back to the 1940s. It’s our most requested recipe ever, with a delightful backstory that will leave you feeling charmed by humanity. It really is a perfect recipe without notes. Everyone says, “Congratulations, Plum Torte!”
Thank you for having me; it was an honor to cosplay as Tanya, albeit unconvincingly. You can find me on Instagram, where I’d love to see some photos of your pets in my DMs. Bisous!
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