Editorial
Front Page - Friday, February 19, 2010
Kay's Cooking Corner
Arkansas and its rice
Kay Bona
Arkansas and its rice
Other than eating a big bowl of hot cooked rice with a rich, brown gravy poured over it, do you know much more about it? Like about how versatile rice is? In Tokyo, there are mats of woven rice straw called a tatami, and beer or sake brewed from rice. You can order a dish of rice seasoned with rice vinegar and topped with strips of beef, raised on a diet of rice bran. There are rice fuels that provide energy; rice oils for cooking, cleaning or keeping leather subtle, rice paper and clothing made from a synthetic fiber from a rice hull product called furfural. Flower gardens contain fertilized soil of rice hulls, and you may have started the day with warm cooked rice cereal or eaten a tasty Rice Krispy Marshmallow Treat for breakfast.
Historians claim that the cultivation of rice in the United States began accidentally in 1685, when a storm-battered ship from Madagascar hobbled into the Charles Town harbor. After repairs were made to the ship, the ship’s captain gave a small gift of rice as payment.
So, how did it get to Arkansas? Well, in our wonderful state of Arkansas, which covers 53,104 square miles, farming has always been the main industry. In 1901, W. E. Hope, from Stuttgart, visited rice fields in Louisiana. Realizing that the soil and the climate were similar to Stuttgart’s, he purchased some rice seed, brought it home and planted it.
Apparently, his experiment worked because Arkansas became a major rice growing state when both Arkansas and Louisiana harvested 1.2 billion pounds of rice in 1915! From that meager beginning, Arkansas today is a national and international leader in rice production (46.5 percent of the US rice), technology and information. Among the other rice growing states of California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas, Arkansas has the most acres of land in rice farms.
Rice is one of my favorite dishes. Not only is it is low calorie, low fat, low sodium, low cholesterol, and a rich source of complex carbohydrates, it contributes 15 essential nutrients to the diet. It goes with just about everything (except maybe chocolate) and the recipes are endless.
I have written two of my “family favorites” below. My mom used to fix these quite often when we were children. Hope you like them as much as I do!
Chicken a la King
4 chicken breasts,
boiled and chopped
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 stick butter
1 med onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, cut in
one inch pieces
4 carrots cut in one inch pieces
2 bay leaves
1 pkg. frozen peas
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot, cooked rice
Prepare chicken and set aside. In large skillet, sauté onion, celery and carrots in butter about 5 minutes. Place in large pot with chicken broth and bay leaves; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; turn heat down and simmer, cooking until tender. Remove bay leaves. Add cooked chicken and peas. Cook about 15 minutes more, or until peas are tender. Make a paste with cornstarch and water; add to chicken and vegetables, cook until thickened. Serve over hot rice.
Raisin-rice pudding
4 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
2/3 cup seedless raisins
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 2-quart casserole. Beat eggs, sugar and milk together. Fold in the rice, lemon juice, vanilla, melted butter, nutmeg and raisins. Pour into the casserole and bake until about 45 minutes.
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